Pro basketball player and 4 youths arrested in connection to ransomware crimes

Law enforcement officials in Europe have apprehended five individuals, including a former Russian basketball player, linked to criminal organizations engaged in ransomware activities. Daniil Kasatkin, who recently played for MBA Moscow in the VTB United League, was one of those detained. He also had a brief stint at Penn State University during the 2018-2019 season and has publicly denied the accusations against him. According to reports from AFP and Le Monde, Kasatkin was arrested on June 21 in France at the request of U.S. authorities. His arrest took place at Charles de Gaulle Airport while he was traveling with his fiancée, to whom he had just proposed. As of June 23, he has been held under extradition arrest. U.S. prosecutors allege that Kasatkin was involved in negotiating ransom payments for organizations that were victims of a ransomware syndicate responsible for over 900 breaches. A U.S. arrest warrant specifies that he is wanted for charges of "conspiracy to commit computer fraud" and "computer fraud conspiracy." Kasatkin's attorney has asserted his client's innocence, stating, "He purchased a second-hand computer and did absolutely nothing wrong. He is shocked by these allegations and is not tech-savvy; he cannot even install applications. The computer may have been hacked, or it was sold to him by someone else posing as another person." Currently, U.S. authorities are working on his extradition process.