Russian botnet operator linked to major ransomware attacks sentenced in US

Ilya Angelov, identified as a leader of the Russia-based Mario Kart cybercrime group (also tracked as TA-551), was sentenced to 24 months in U.S. prison and fined for operating a large botnet that spread malware via massive phishing/spam campaigns, compromised thousands of machines, and sold access to ransomware operators including BitPaymer and groups linked to IcedID, resulting in substantial ransom payments and widespread impact.