Russian national extradited to US for alleged hacking campaign against financial institutions

A Russian man accused of launching a major hacking campaign against U.S. financial institutions was extradited to the United States on Monday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York announced Friday.

Andrei Tyurin was extradited from the country of Georgia and arrived in the U.S. on Friday. He is expected to appear in federal court in Manhattan on Friday afternoon, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.

{mosads}Tyurin was arrested by Georgian officials on behalf of U.S. authorities for allegedly targeting financial institutions like Fidelity Investments, Dow Jones & Co. and JPMorgan Chase in a hacking campaign that lasted from 2012 until mid-2015.

He is charged with conspiracy to commit computer hacking, wire fraud, computer hacking, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, conspiracy to violate the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Tyurin could face up to 97 years in prison on the charges.

“Tyurin’s alleged hacking activities were so prolific, they lay claim to the largest theft of U.S. customer data from a single financial institution in history, accounting for a staggering 80 million-plus victims,” U.S. Attorney for Manhattan Geoffrey Berman said in a statement. “As Americans increasingly turn to online banking, theft of online personal information can cause devastating effects on their financial wellbeing, sometimes taking years to recover.” 

“Today’s extradition marks a significant milestone for law enforcement in the fight against cyber intrusions targeting our critical financial institutions,” he added.

The Department of Justice alleges that Tyurin executed the hacking campaign alongside several co-conspirators.

He will also appear before U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain on Sept. 25, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.