Two U.S. Nationals Sentenced for Helping DPRK IT Workers Get Jobs at U.S. Firms
Summary
Two U.S. nationals were sentenced for helping DPRK IT workers use stolen identities to get jobs at over 100 U.S. companies. Court documents cite more than $5 million in DPRK revenue and an estimated $3 million in company damages.
Key points
- Kejia Wang received 108 months in prison and Zhenxing Wang received 92 months after pleading guilty to offenses related to the scheme.
- The scheme used stolen identities, shell companies, fake websites and hosted company laptops to help DPRK workers access U.S. corporate networks.
- Court documents say the operation involved stolen identities of more than 80 U.S. citizens and generated over $5 million for the DPRK, with an estimated $3 million in damages to companies.
- Nine other defendants remain at large; the State Department is offering up to $5 million for information about suspects tied to DPRK funding efforts.
- Oleksandr Didenko, who provided stolen identities to DPRK IT workers, was separately sentenced to five years in prison.
Article Details
- Event Type
- Sentencing of U.S. nationals who helped North Korean IT workers fraudulently obtain employment at U.S. companies
- Impact
- The scheme generated more than $5 million for the DPRK and caused an estimated $3 million in damages to U.S. companies. Workers used stolen identities of more than 80 U.S. citizens to gain access to the networks of over 100 companies, including Fortune 500 firms.
People
Threat Actors
Kejia WangPleaded guilty to his role in facilitating North Korean IT workers’ fraudulent employment at U.S. companies and was sentenced to 108 months in prison.Oleksandr DidenkoPleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft for providing DPRK IT workers with stolen identities used to infiltrate U.S. companies; sentenced to five years in prison.Zhenxing WangPleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire fraud for his role in the scheme, including hosting company-issued laptops used by North Korean IT workers to access corporate networks; sentenced to 92 months in prison.
Countries
North KoreaState Department has announced a reward of up to $5 million for information on the suspects, which can help disrupt illicit activities that support North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD) program.United StatesTwo U.S. nationals were sentenced for helping North Korean IT workers pose as U.S.