Egor Igorevich Kriuchkov, 27, has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to cause intentional computer harm. He faced a potential term of five years in jail, but as a result of his plea deal, he would most likely obtain a lesser sentence. Kriuchkov is accused of collaborating with others to persuade a Tesla employee to instal malware on the company’s network as part of a ransomware attack. They also intended to launch a DDoS attack to draw the company’s attention away from the malware, which would allow them to steal valuable data. The Russian arrived in the United States on a tourist visa in July 2020 and immediately contacted the targeted Tesla employee in Nevada. The employee was originally paid $500,000 for his support, but the amount was later increased to $1 million. Despite this, the employee decided to warn Tesla about the cybercriminals’ plot, and the company alerted the FBI, who set up a sting operation. Kriuchkov was arrested in August 2020 and pleaded not guilty in September. On May 10, he will be convicted.
