The NetWalker ransomware gang associate who was sentenced to seven years in prison by Canadian courts in late January was extradited to the United States on Wednesday, where he will face further charges related to his involvement in the gang.
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Sebastien Vachon-Desjardins, a Canadian citizen, was sentenced in Canada after pleading guilty to five charges related to “theft of computer data, extortion, payment of ransom in cryptocurrency, and participation in the activities of a criminal organization.”.
The charges in Canada involved Vachon-Desjardins' involvement in 17 ransomware attacks that caused at least $2.8 million in damages.
He also received an additional 54-month sentence in Canada for drug trafficking in Quebec in the following weeks.
Vachon-Desjardins' extradition to the United States was originally set for earlier, but was delayed due to the pending drug trafficking charges of her partner Netwalker in Canada.
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Vachon-Desjardins is now in the United States and faces further charges accusing him of conspiracy to commit computer and wire fraud, willful damage to a protected computer, and transmitting a request in connection with the destruction of a protected computer.
If convicted in the United States, the 34-year-old Canadian could face more than $27 million in fines for his involvement in the NetWalker ransomware gang.
Vachon-Desjardins was arrested by Canadian police in January 2021 as part of an international law enforcement campaign targeting the NetWalker group.
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Following his arrest, law enforcement authorities discovered and seized 719 Bitcoins, worth approximately $28.1 million, from Vachon-Desjardins' home in Gatineau, Canada.
Information source: zdnet.com
