For Immediate Release
August 16, 2001
Eastern District of California
501 I Street, Suite 10-100
Sacramento, California 95814
(916)-554-2700
Fax(916)-554-2900
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| Press Release For Immediate Release August 16, 2001 |
U.S. Department of Justice Eastern District of California 501 I Street, Suite 10-100 Sacramento, California 95814 (916)-554-2700 Fax(916)-554-2900 |
RUSSIAN NATIONAL INDICTED ON COMPUTER INTRUSION CHARGES
SACRAMENTO – United States Attorney John K. Vincent announced today that ALEKSEY VLADIMIROVICH IVANOV, 21, of Chelybinsk, Russia, was charged in a thirteen-count indictment with conspiracy to commit various computer related "hacking" offenses and other substantive computer intrusion charges.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark L. Krotoski, who is prosecuting the case, the indictment alleges that Ivanov gained unauthorized access to computers at VPM, a Folsom, California Internet services company. Ivanov allegedly obtained root-level or administrator-level access to victims’ computers, including computers owned by VPM. Once he obtained access, Ivanov allegedly installed a "hacking" tool known as a "backdoor" which provided him with an unauthorized access point to the victims' computer networks. Ivanov used VPM as a shell or conduit for hacking attacks on other companies to avoid any detection or exposure to his computer systems in Russia, according to the indictment.
The indictment further alleges that Ivanov contacted the victims whose computers he had accessed and compromised, for the purpose of demanding and extorting money from those victims. As part of this demand for money, the defendant allegedly advised the victims that the defendant had the ability to further damage their computer systems.According to AUSA Krotoski, Ivanov faces a maximum penalty of five years and a fine of up to $250,000 on each of the charges in the indictment.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Sacramento Office.
Ivanov and an associate, Vasili Gorchkov, were arrested in Seattle on November 10, 2000, after traveling to the United States during an investigation by the FBI. Ivanov and Gorchov, who are awaiting trial on similar computer intrusion charges in Seattle, came to the United States for a "job interview" with a Seattle-based computer security company called Invita. However, Invita was in fact an undercover FBI company that allowed investigators to obtain evidence needed to charge the two Russians. Ivanov is currently in federal custody awaiting trial on computer intrusion charges in Connecticut. In addition to the federal charges in Seattle, Washington and Connecticut, Ivanov has been indicted on similar federal computer intrusion charges in Santa Ana, California and New Jersey.
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