Russian Mega-Hack Suspect behind LinkedIn and Dropbox Hack Deported To the US

After an intense 1 and a half year international tug-of-war between Washington, Moscow, and Prague, the Russian man accused of compromising personal details of over 100 million LinkedIn and Dropbox users in 2012, has pleaded not guilty in US Federal court after being deported from the Czech Republic.

Arrested in Prague on October 5, 2016, by Interpol agents, 30-year-old Yevgeniy Aleksandrovich Nikulin was recently deported to the United States from the Czech Republic for his first appearance in the federal court.

Nikulin’s arrest has caused great tensions between the U.S. and Russia. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in his statement:

“In this case, the defendant, a Russian national, is accused of breaking into the computer system of several important American companies using stolen identities, and potentially gaining access to the personal information of millions of Americans.”

“This is deeply troubling behavior once again emanating from Russia. We will not tolerate criminal cyber-attacks and will make it a priority to investigate and prosecute these crimes, regardless of the country where they originate.”

Also known as “Chinabig01,” “dex.007,” “valeriy.krutov3,” and “itBlackHat,” the mega-hack suspect, Nikulin is not pleaded guilty of 9 counts:

• 3 Counts - Computer intrusion
• 2 Counts - Intentional transmission of data, code, or command, which caused damage to a protected computer
• 2 Counts - Identity theft
• 1 count - Trafficking in unauthorized access devices
• 1 count - Conspiracy

For the next court appearance for status, Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley has called Nikulin on April 2, 2018, and also scheduled a detention hearing for April 4, 2018.