Raymond Odigie Uadiale, a former employee at Microsoft, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection to Reveton, a type of ransomware.
A factual proffer filed alongside the plea agreement alleged that Uadiale helped “cash out” victim’s payments after Reveton successfully infected their computers. Reveton utilized splash screens with logos from various law enforcement organizations to alert victims that illegal material had been found on the computer and that a “fine” was needed in order to gain access to the computer again. Victims would then be directed to buy a GreenDot MoneyPak and enter the information to pay the “fine” where Uadiale would then turn the MoneyPak funds into money to be split between Reveton’s distributor and himself using Liberty Reserve, a currency platform.
U.S Attorney Greenberg stated, “By claiming to originate from law enforcement agencies, Reveton not only victimized computer users, it also exploited the agencies in whose names the ransomware claimed to be acting.” Court documents also revealed that Uadiale transferred $93,640 which was 70% of Reveton’s funds to Reveton’s distributor between October 2012 to March 27, 2013. Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski praised the sentencing and work of the FBI and the U.K’s National Crime Agency stating, “This conviction and sentence is another demonstration of the Department of Justice’s commitment to prosecuting cybercriminals and shutting down the networks they use to launder their criminal proceeds.”
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