Russian-Canadian man living in Simcoe County fights extradition after arrest for global ransomware attacks
Investigators from Orillia, Ontario, to Newark, New Jersey, are trying to convince a judge Mikhail Vasiliev should soon be extradited to the United States after being charged in connection with global ransomware attacks worth millions.
The 33-year-old Russian-Canadian man who has been living in Bradford, Ont., is accused of being a hacker who held sensitive computer data hostage in exchange for ransom payment from victims.
The alleged cyber attacks caught the attention of both the RCMP and FBI.
Provincial police investigators arrested Vasiliev at his Simcoe County home in late October and again on November 9 for his alleged role in the LockBit global ransomware scheme.
According to U.S. justice officials, the LockBit group Vasiliev is accused of being associated with made at least $100 million in ransom demands and took tens of millions of dollars in ransom payments from at least 1,000 cyber attacks on victims in the U.S. and around the world.
The FBI says it believes Vasiliev, who faces a maximum of five years in prison if convicted, was an active LockBit cybercriminal.
The U.S. Department of Justice says Canadian police officers searched Vasiliev's Bradford home in August, where they discovered a file containing a list of alleged prospective or previous cybercrime victims.
In late October, police raided his home, where investigators allegedly found Vasiliev sitting in his garage at a table with a laptop, which they say he was unable to lock before being arrested.
Investigators said they found several tabs open on the laptop, including one pointing to a site named LockBit LOGIN with a LockBit logo. Investigators also claimed to have found a Bitcoin wallet address in Vasiliev's home, allegedly tracing it back to a ransom payment made six hours earlier.
He is also accused of illegally possessing firearms and ammunition.
The allegations against Vasiliev have not been tested in court.
He is scheduled to appear next week for a bail hearing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.