On July 21, according to News.bitcoin, the Department of Justice (DOJ) revealed that two foreign nationals pleaded guilty in Newark federal court to participating in the Lockbit ransomware group. Russian citizen Ruslan Magomedovich Astamirov and Mikhail Vasiliev, who holds dual Canadian and Russian citizenship, have been identified as members of the Lockbit group. The group has been active since January 2020 and has targeted more than 2,500 victims in 120 countries, extorting about $500 million in ransom. Their victims include hospitals, educational institutions and commercial enterprises. Astamirov and Vasiliev used the Lockbit ransomware to encrypt and steal data, demanding a ransom and threatening to release information if their demands were not met. They were arrested in 2023 and 2022 and could face up to 25 and 45 years in prison, respectively.