US imposes fresh Russia- and cyber-related sanctions

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By Doina Chiacu and Hannah Lang

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on alleged Russian money laundering operations that catered to cybercriminals and involved three illegal cryptocurrency exchanges.

The Justice Department unsealed an indictment charging Russian national Sergey Sergeevich Ivanov with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and money laundering using stolen credit and debit card information.

Ivanov’s services have been used by cybercrime marketplaces, ransomware groups and hackers responsible for significant data breaches of major U.S. companies, the department said.

Russian national Timur Shakhmametov faced similar charges in the indictment, the department said.

In a coordinated action, the Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Ivanov and Cryptex, a virtual currency exchange based in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines but operating in Russia.

The United States and its allies have imposed sanctions on thousands of Russian targets since Russia invaded neighboring Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. The war has seen tens of thousands killed and cities destroyed.

Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network also identified Russian crypto exchange PM2BTC, which is associated with Ivanov, as a “primary money laundering concern” in connection with Russian illicit finance.

The Treasury financial crime bureau found that PM2BTC used “an unusual obfuscation” that made it harder to trace illicit transactions, it said.

PM2BTC has longstanding ties to Russian or Russian-affiliated financial institutions that are under U.S. sanctions or other restrictions, according to Treasury.

“The United States and our international partners remain resolute in our commitment to prevent cybercrime facilitators like PM2BTC and Cryptex from operating with impunity,” said Bradley Smith, acting under secretary for Treasury’s terrorism and financial intelligence unit.

At the same time, the State Department announced rewards of up to $10 million each for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Ivanov or Shakhmametov.

The State Department is also offering rewards of up to $1 million each for information identifying the leaders of PM2BTC and stolen credit card marketplaces PinPays and Joker’s Stash.

(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Katharine Jackson, Bill Berkrot and Cynthia Osterman)