tl;dr
Texas authorities have charged Ianis Aleksandrovich Antropenko with multiple offenses related to ransomware attacks using Zeppelin ransomware. They seized over $2.8 million in cryptocurrency, $70,000 in cash, and a luxury vehicle. Antropenko is accused of encrypting and stealing data from victims wo...
Texas authorities have charged Ianis Aleksandrovich Antropenko, an alleged ransomware operator, and seized more than $2.8 million in cryptocurrency from his digital wallets. This seizure was part of six federal warrants unsealed across courts in Virginia, California, and Texas, which also led to the confiscation of $70,000 in cash and a luxury vehicle. Antropenko faces multiple charges, including conspiring to commit computer fraud and abuse, computer fraud and abuse itself, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Prosecutors accuse Antropenko of deploying the Zeppelin ransomware to attack individuals, businesses, and organizations worldwide. His method involved encrypting and stealing data before demanding payments to decrypt, withhold, or delete it, revealing the ongoing threat ransomware poses to global digital security.
This case exemplifies law enforcement’s increased efforts to dismantle ransomware operations and recover illicit funds. Recent actions include raids targeting cybercrime group Royal and vendors of LummaC2 infrastructure. Highlighting the scale of the problem, cybercrime losses in the U.S. reached $16.6 billion in 2024, with nearly 150,000 complaints involving digital assets resulting in $9.3 billion in losses—a 66% increase from the prior year.
Officials allege that the funds seized in this case were laundered through services like ChipMixer, a crypto mixing platform shut down in a 2023 international crackdown, and through structured cash deposits. The Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) reports more than 180 cybercrime convictions and $350 million recovered for victims so far. Authorities emphasize that their interventions have disrupted numerous ransomware groups and prevented over $200 million in potential ransom payments, underscoring growing momentum in combating cybercrime.