U.S. Department of Justice orders seizure of $2.8 million in cryptocurrency related to ransomware operators.

According to reports, the U.S. Department of Justice recently issued a search warrant requiring the seizure of $2.8 million worth of cryptocurrency from a wallet. It is said that the wallet is controlled by an individual suspected of using ransomware to steal data and demand ransom. These search warrants have been announced in the district courts of the Eastern District of Virginia, the Central District of California, and the Northern District of Texas. According to the statement, these search warrants allow prosecutors to seize cryptocurrency, $70,000 in cash, and a luxury car. Prosecutors claim that Ianis Aleksandrovich Antropenko used ransomware to attack individuals, businesses, and organizations globally in an attempt to steal data. It is understood that these ransoms were laundered through various means, including the use of the cryptocurrency mixing service ChipMixer, which was shut down in 2023, and whose operators are currently charged with money laundering.