A Ukrainian national who worked as both a hacker and developer for the Conti ransomware operation has been sentenced to four years in a U.S. federal prison.
Oleksii Oleksiyovych Lytvynenko, 44, received the sentence on September 10 after pleading guilty in June to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. His conviction stems from his involvement with Conti, a ransomware operation responsible for attacks against more than 1,000 victims worldwide.
Between 2020 and 2022, Conti ransomware was used against organizations across 47 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and 31 other countries. The FBI estimated that by January 2022, victims had made more than $150 million in ransom payments associated with Conti attacks.
Lytvynenko admitted that he joined the conspiracy no later than September 2021. Evidence recovered from his online accounts showed that he possessed information stolen from eight victims in the United States and four victims in other countries.
His role extended beyond holding stolen data. Lytvynenko joined a team managed by another Conti conspirator and was instructed to help develop a “loader,” malware designed to load programs needed for additional malicious activity.
Prosecutors said Lytvynenko personally harmed at least 12 companies and contributed to tools that Conti used in its extortion operations.
Conti’s attacks typically involved gaining access to an organization’s network, stealing information, and encrypting systems. Victims could then face demands for payment to regain access to their files and prevent stolen information from being released.
Although the Conti conspiracy ended in 2022, authorities found evidence indicating that Lytvynenko remained involved in ransomware activity afterward.
He was arrested in County Cork, Ireland, in July 2023 at the request of U.S. authorities. Ireland later extradited him to the United States to face the federal case.
Four other alleged Conti conspirators were charged separately in the Middle District of Tennessee in 2023. Those defendants have not been convicted in connection with those charges and remain presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Lytvynenko’s prison sentence does not yet resolve the financial portion of his case. The federal court has reserved its decision on restitution, with a restitution hearing currently scheduled for November 16, 2026.