The affiliate of the NetWalker ransomware group, who was sentenced to seven years in prison by Canadian justice at the end of January, was extradited to the United States on Wednesday, where he will face new charges related to his participation in the group.
Sébastien Vachon-Desjardins, a Canadian citizen, was sentenced after pleading guilty to five counts related to “theft of computer data, extortion, payment of ransoms in cryptocurrencies and participation in the activities of a criminal organization”.
In the Canadian proceedings, the charges related to Vachon-Desjardins’ participation in 17 ransomware attacks that caused at least $2.8 million in damages.
He also received an additional 54 months sentence in Canada for drug trafficking in Quebec.
Vachon-Desjardins’ extradition to the United States was originally scheduled to take place at an earlier date, but was delayed due to drug trafficking charges against him in Canada.
Now that he is in the United States, he faces other charges: conspiracy to commit computer fraud and electronic fraud, intentionally damaging a protected computer and transmitting a request in connection with the damage from a protected computer.
If convicted in the United States, the 34-year-old Canadian could be forced to pay more than $27 million for his participation in the NetWalker ransomware gang.
Sébastien Vachon-Desjardins was arrested by Canadian Police in January 2021 as part of an international law enforcement operation targeting NetWalker.
After his arrest, law enforcement discovered and seized 719 bitcoins, worth approximately $28.1 million, and approximately $1 million CAD from his home in Gatineau, Canada.
Source: ZDNet.com