U.S. sentencing of Deniss Zolotarjovs in Karakurt ransomware case
Law Enforcement
Summary
Hide ▲
Show ▼
Deniss Zolotarjovs was sentenced to 8.5 years in prison in the United States for serving as a Karakurt ransomware negotiator, resolving a cross-border cybercrime case tied to extortion and money laundering. His role mattered because he helped pressure victims after intrusions, including organizations threatened with public release of stolen data. The judgment expands legal exposure around a ransomware operation that targeted companies and a government entity.
Related Happenings
Sentencing in North Korea laptop farm case
Law Enforcement
First: 07.05.2026 16:45
Last: 07.05.2026 16:45
Sources 1
About this happening:
Federal authorities sentenced **Matthew Isaac Knoot** and **Erick Ntekereze Prince** to **18 months** in prison each for running **laptop farms** that helped **North Korean IT wor...
Sentencing in North Korea laptop farm case
Law EnforcementAbout this happening: Federal authorities sentenced **Matthew Isaac Knoot** and **Erick Ntekereze Prince** to **18 months** in prison each for running **laptop farms** that helped **North Korean IT wor...
Instructure hit by cyberattack
Incident
First: 04.05.2026 01:16
Last: 04.05.2026 01:16
Sources 1
About this happening:
**Instructure** disclosed a **cybersecurity incident** that exposed user information and prompted an investigation with outside experts and law enforcement. The event matters beca...
Instructure hit by cyberattack
IncidentAbout this happening: **Instructure** disclosed a **cybersecurity incident** that exposed user information and prompted an investigation with outside experts and law enforcement. The event matters beca...
Latest development: 14.05.2026 23:19
The House Committee on Homeland Security and the US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions sought briefings from Instructure over the Canvas compromise, pressing the edtech vendor on whether it paid a ransom, what data was affected, how it handled the recent attacks, and whether the incident was linked to a prior Salesforce compromise.
Tampa medical device company hit by ransomware attack linked to BlackCat (ALPHV)
Incident
First: 01.05.2026 10:47
Last: 01.05.2026 10:47
Sources 1
About this happening:
A **Tampa medical device company** suffered a **ransomware intrusion** in **May 2023** that encrypted its servers and triggered a **$10 million** ransom demand. The company later...
Tampa medical device company hit by ransomware attack linked to BlackCat (ALPHV)
IncidentAbout this happening: A **Tampa medical device company** suffered a **ransomware intrusion** in **May 2023** that encrypted its servers and triggered a **$10 million** ransom demand. The company later...
U.S. sentencing of Ryan Clifford Goldberg and Kevin Tyler Martin in BlackCat ransomware case
Law Enforcement
First: 01.05.2026 10:47
Last: 01.05.2026 10:47
Sources 1
About this happening:
**Ryan Clifford Goldberg** and **Kevin Tyler Martin**, former employees of **Sygnia** and **DigitalMint**, were sentenced in a **BlackCat (ALPHV) ransomware** law-enforcement case...
U.S. sentencing of Ryan Clifford Goldberg and Kevin Tyler Martin in BlackCat ransomware case
Law EnforcementAbout this happening: **Ryan Clifford Goldberg** and **Kevin Tyler Martin**, former employees of **Sygnia** and **DigitalMint**, were sentenced in a **BlackCat (ALPHV) ransomware** law-enforcement case...
Finnish arrest and U.S. charges in Bouquet Scattered Spider case
Law Enforcement
First: 28.04.2026 18:39
Last: 28.04.2026 18:39
Sources 1
About this happening:
**Finnish law enforcement** arrested **Bouquet**, and **U.S. federal prosecutors** later charged him in a cross-border **Scattered Spider** cybercrime case. The charges include **...
Finnish arrest and U.S. charges in Bouquet Scattered Spider case
Law EnforcementAbout this happening: **Finnish law enforcement** arrested **Bouquet**, and **U.S. federal prosecutors** later charged him in a cross-border **Scattered Spider** cybercrime case. The charges include **...
Timeline
-
05.05.2026 03:00 2 articles · 22d ago
U.S. sentencing of Deniss Zolotarjovs
Legal Policy Action UpdateA U.S. federal court sentenced Deniss Zolotarjovs, also known online as Sforza_cesarini, to 8.5 years in prison for serving as Karakurt's "cold case" negotiator in a ransomware and extortion case tied to compromised company systems, stolen data, and ransom demands against American organizations and a government entity whose 911 system was forced offline. The case record says he was arrested in Georgia in December 2023, charged in August 2024, and pleaded guilty in July 2025 after extradition to the United States.
Show sources
- Karakurt extortion gang ‘cold case’ negotiator gets 8.5 years in prison — www.bleepingcomputer.com — 05.05.2026 13:13
- Karakurt extortion gang ‘cold case’ negotiator gets 8.5 years in prison — www.bleepingcomputer.com — 05.05.2026 13:13