A superseding criminal complaint was unsealed today charging a dual Russian and Israeli national for being a developer of the LockBit ransomware group, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of New Jersey.
According to the U.S. attorney’s office, Rostislav Panev, 51, is currently in custody in Israel pending extradition on the charges lodged in the complaint.
The department said Panev developed LockBit malware from 2019 to February 2024, during which the group targeted 2,500 victims in 120 countries, including 1,800 in the U.S.
Victims included hospitals, schools, nonprofits, businesses, and government agencies, the office said.
According to the U.S. attorney’s office, LockBit collected $500 million in ransom payments and caused billions in additional losses.
Moreover, LockBit operated with developers like Panev, who built malware and maintained its infrastructure, while affiliates carried out attacks and extorted victims, the department explained.
During Panev’s August arrest in Israel, investigators found credentials on his computer for a dark web repository containing LockBit’s malware builder and StealBit tool, which affiliates used to customize ransomware, the department stated.