Russian hacker to face cyberattack charges in U.S., prosecutors say

A Russian hacker has been extradited from Georgia to face charges in Manhattan federal court for cyberattacks on news, banks and brokerage businesses that officials say included the largest theft ever of customer data from a financial institution, prosecutors announced on Friday.

Andrei Tyurin, 35, of Moscow, was charged with conspiracy, wire fraud, hacking and identity theft. The victims were not named, but prosecutors have confirmed that biggest victim of the alleged hacking between 2012 and 2015 was J.P. Morgan Chase.

“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,” said Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman. “ . . . Today’s extradition marks a significant milestone for law enforcement in the fight against cyber intrusions.”

Prosecutors said Tyurin’s crimes were committed to advance schemes carried out by a larger criminal network that included securities market manipulation, illegal online gambling, and payment processing frauds.

In one case, the government said, customer names hacked by Tyurin were used to try to sell stocks in a market manipulation scheme designed to use misleading pitches to artificially inflate the prices of securities.

Two Israeli men, alleged mastermind Gery Shalon and Ziv Orenstein, and Joshua Aaron of Florida, were previously charged and their cases are pending. The government declined to say if they were still in custody.

The identity of the hacker was first revealed on Friday, and prosecutors provided no information on the details of Tyurin’s apprehension and transfer by authorities in Georgia.

Tyurin pleaded not guilty and was detained without bail during a brief hearing in Manhattan federal court. He faces a maximum possible sentence of 97 years in prison. His lawyer declined to comment.