Latvian national involved with Karakurt and other ransomware gangs sentenced for his role in ransomware organization

The Department of Justice announced that Deniss Zolotarjovs, a member of a Russian-linked ransomware organization (brands observed include Conti, Karakurt, Royal, TommyLeaks, SchoolBoys Ransomware, and Akira), was sentenced to 102 months after pleading guilty to conspiring to commit money laundering and wire fraud for his role in stealing data from over 54 companies and extorting victims between June 2021 and August 2023; known losses across 13 victims exceeded $56 million (with additional payments and estimated total losses likely in the hundreds of millions), and attacks exposed highly sensitive personal and healthcare data—including pediatric records—and disrupted critical services such as a government 911 system.