South Korean authorities extradited to the United States on Thursday a Ukrainian man who allegedly engaged in a fraud campaign and laundered at least $2.8 million with the help of overseas cybercriminals.
The Justice Department (DoJ) said in a press release Friday that the man, Aleksandr Musienko, known by the alias “Robert Davis,” was charged in an indictment with one count of wire fraud, one count of bank fraud, one count of money laundering conspiracy, and two counts of money laundering.
Musienko’s laundering and fraud scheme targeted U.S. corporations and individuals, according to the indictment, including a corporation based in the Western District of North Carolina. The man allegedly began the scheme in 2009 and continued it through at least 2012, the DoJ added.
Musienko more specifically ran a network of “money mules” throughout the United States and used a variety of fraudulent techniques, such as advertising fake employment opportunities to work as financial assistants. Musienko said he would pay the mules about five percent of each overseas wire transfer they completed.
Once he established a money mule network, Musienko had the mules partner with cybercriminals to assist them in transferring stolen money. The mules used their own bank accounts to receive and transfer proceeds from the compromised overseas bank accounts, which DoJ said led to the total theft and laundering of at least $2.8 million.
FBI agents at the Charlotte Field Office conducted an investigation of Musienko with the support of DoJ’s Office of International Affairs. Musienko had traveled to South Korea when South Korean authorities apprehended him at the U.S. government’s request.
Musienko made his first court appearance before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge David Cayer Friday. Musienko’s next court date has not been announced yet, but he was in the Mecklenburg County jail on a federal hold without bail Friday night, according to jail records online.