A Latvian national who acted as a key negotiator for a global ransomware network has been sentenced to 8.5 years in a US federal prison. Deniss Zolotarjovs, 35, received a 102-month sentence after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire fraud.
Authorities say he played a key role in ransomware operations carried out by a group known as Karakurt, TommyLeaks, and SchoolBoys Ransomware. He is the first identified member of the Karakurt group to be extradited to the United States to face criminal charges.
Zolotarjovs was arrested abroad in December 2023 and transferred to US custody in August 2024. He was involved in a series of cyberattacks between June 2021 and March 2023 that targeted at least 53 victims and caused more than $56 million in losses.
While Zolotarjovs did not participated in the actual attacks, he analyzed stolen data and led ransom negotiations, often communicating directly with victims and advising co-conspirators on extortion strategies. In one instance, he allegedly escalated pressure on a pediatric healthcare provider by threatening to release patient records, including medical histories, on the dark web.
Prosecutors said Zolotarjovs earned approximately 10 percent of the ransom payments he helped secure. The payments were made in cryptocurrency and later funneled through multiple digital wallets before being converted into Russian rubles.