A Russian man accused of creating a computer virus that infected more than 1.4 million computers in order to steal bank account data has pleaded guilty in a U.S. court.
Aleksandr Andreevich Panin, known by his online computer user names "Gribodemon" and "Harderman," pleaded guilty on January 28 to a charge of conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud.
U.S. prosecutors say Panin was the main developer and distributor of malware called "SpyEye."
They say the virus affected more than 10,000 bank accounts at 253 financial institutions.
Court papers say Panin operated from Russia since 2009, selling the software online for $1,000 to $8,500.
One of Panin's clients is thought to have stolen more than $3.2 million during a six-month period using the SpyEye virus.
The 24-year-old Panin was arrested in July 2013 at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia.
Aleksandr Andreevich Panin, known by his online computer user names "Gribodemon" and "Harderman," pleaded guilty on January 28 to a charge of conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud.
U.S. prosecutors say Panin was the main developer and distributor of malware called "SpyEye."
They say the virus affected more than 10,000 bank accounts at 253 financial institutions.
Court papers say Panin operated from Russia since 2009, selling the software online for $1,000 to $8,500.
One of Panin's clients is thought to have stolen more than $3.2 million during a six-month period using the SpyEye virus.
The 24-year-old Panin was arrested in July 2013 at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia.
