Israeli court to hear U.S. extradition request for alleged LockBit developer | CyberScoop<\/title> <meta name=\"description\" content=\"An Israeli Court is set to extradite Rostislav Panev, an Israeli citizen alleged to be involved with the notorious LockBit ransomware gang.\"> <link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/rostislav-panev-lockbit-israel-extradition\/\"> <meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\"> <meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\"> <meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Israeli court to hear U.S. extradition request for alleged LockBit developer\"> <meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"An Israeli Court is set to extradite Rostislav Panev, an Israeli citizen alleged to be involved with the notorious LockBit ransomware gang.\"> <meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/rostislav-panev-lockbit-israel-extradition\/\"> <meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"CyberScoop\"> <meta property=\"article:published_time\" 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class=\"stickybar__details\" readability=\"5.12\">\n<div class=\"stickybar__info js-sticky-bar-content\" readability=\"32\">\n<p>Nominations can be submitted for the 2025 CyberScoop 50 awards!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <a class=\"stickybar__link button button-tertiary\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/cyberscoop50\/\">Click here!<\/a> <\/div>\n<p> <button class=\"stickybar__close js-stickybar-close\" aria-controls=\"stickybar\"> <svg class=\"icon icon--close\" width=\"21\" height=\"22\" viewBox=\"0 0 21 22\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"m.822.518-.805.805L9.695 11 .017 20.678l.805.805 9.678-9.678 9.677 9.678.806-.805L11.305 11l9.678-9.677-.806-.805-9.677 9.677L.822.518Z\" fill=\"currentColor\" \/><\/svg> <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Close<\/span> <\/button> <\/section>\n<article class=\"single-article content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__container js-single-article-content\">\n<header class=\"single-article__header \" readability=\"24.616246498599\">\n<div class=\"single-article__header-content\" readability=\"33.055555555556\">\n<ul class=\"single-article__eyebrow\">\n<li class=\"single-article__category\"> <a class=\"single-article__category-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/rostislav-panev-lockbit-israel-extradition\/\"> <span>Ransomware<\/span> <\/a> <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> Rostislav Panev allegedly served as a software developer for LockBit. <\/p>\n<p>  <br \/>\n<audio id=\"audio-player\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-tts-cdn.api.scpnewsgrp.com\/cyberscoop\/82961\/english.openai.mp3\"><\/audio> <\/p>\n<div readability=\"11\">\n<div>\n<p>Listen to this article<\/p>\n<p>  <\/p>\n<p>0:00<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>  <\/p>\n<p> <span id=\"tts-tooltip\">Learn more.<\/span> <span> This feature uses an automated voice, which may result in occasional errors in pronunciation, tone, or sentiment. <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>  <\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__cover-wrap\">\n<figure class=\"single-article__cover\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/israeli-court-to-hear-u-s-extradition-request-for-alleged-lockbit-developer.jpg?resize=640%2C426&ssl=1\" class=\"single-article__cover-image wp-post-image\" alt decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/israeli-court-to-hear-u-s-extradition-request-for-alleged-lockbit-developer-2.jpg 6720w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/israeli-court-to-hear-u-s-extradition-request-for-alleged-lockbit-developer-2.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/israeli-court-to-hear-u-s-extradition-request-for-alleged-lockbit-developer-2.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/israeli-court-to-hear-u-s-extradition-request-for-alleged-lockbit-developer-2.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/israeli-court-to-hear-u-s-extradition-request-for-alleged-lockbit-developer-2.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/israeli-court-to-hear-u-s-extradition-request-for-alleged-lockbit-developer-2.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/israeli-court-to-hear-u-s-extradition-request-for-alleged-lockbit-developer-2.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/israeli-court-to-hear-u-s-extradition-request-for-alleged-lockbit-developer-2.jpg?resize=252,168 252w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/israeli-court-to-hear-u-s-extradition-request-for-alleged-lockbit-developer-2.jpg?resize=506,337 506w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/israeli-court-to-hear-u-s-extradition-request-for-alleged-lockbit-developer-2.jpg?resize=1013,675 1013w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/israeli-court-to-hear-u-s-extradition-request-for-alleged-lockbit-developer-2.jpg?resize=1265,843 1265w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1013px) 100vw, 1013px\"><figcaption> (Getty Images) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"single-article__content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__content-inner has-drop-cap\"> <html readability=\"28.625491976991\"><body readability=\"57.849450549451\"><\/p>\n<p>An Israeli Court is set to deliberate a significant extradition case involving Rostislav Panev, an Israeli citizen alleged to be involved with the notorious LockBit ransomware gang.<\/p>\n<p>According to Israeli news outlet <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ynetnews.com\/business\/article\/bksplo11skg\">Ynet<\/a>, a U.S. extradition request was made public Thursday claiming that between 2019 and 2024, Panev served as a software developer for LockBit. During this period, LockBit is alleged to have executed cyberattacks impacting roughly 2,500 victims globally, including U.S. governmental and health care organizations.<\/p>\n<p>The U.S. Department of Justice places LockBit among the most detrimental ransomware groups in operation, responsible for financial losses exceeding $500 million. Moreover, the group purportedly harbored connections with <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/tag\/evil-corp\/\">Evil Corp<\/a>., an erstwhile Russian-based cybercrime syndicate <a href=\"https:\/\/home.treasury.gov\/news\/press-releases\/sm845\">sanctioned by the U.S. government in 2019<\/a> for its role in distributing malware and enabling a range of cybercriminal activity.<\/p>\n<p>Documents disclosed in conjunction with the extradition request reveal that Panev was arrested at his Israeli home in August. He is suspected of developing software that placed ransom notes on compromised systems. For his work, he has allegedly made $230,000, largely via cryptocurrency. Law enforcement agencies discovered digital wallets tied to these payments, along with ransom templates, during searches at Panev\u2019s residence.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Panev\u2019s lawyer, Sharon Nahari, told Ynet that Panev was neither aware of nor complicit in the alleged schemes.<\/p>\n<p>The extradition proceedings were instigated by the State Attorney\u2019s Office after Israel\u2019s Minister of Justice signed off on a formal request from the U.S. According to YNet, the U.S. kept the extradition order sealed, fearing that it might tip off other LockBit affiliates, potentially allowing them to escape to Russia.<\/p>\n<p>International law enforcement has been aggressively pursuing those behind LockBit, starting in February with the public unveiling of \u201cOperation Cronos,\u201d the name of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk\/news\/nca-leads-international-investigation-targeting-worlds-most-harmful-ransomware-group\">organized international effort<\/a> led by the U.K.\u2019s National Crime Agency. British authorities seized the website used by LockBit to post targets and share data from targeted entities that refused to pay ransom and used it as the platform to disseminate news about the operation and information about the nearly 200 affiliates working with LockBit at the time, part of both a traditional law enforcement disruption as well as a <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/lockbit-takedown-messaging-campaign\/\">psychological operation<\/a> designed to undermine LockBit\u2019s support in the cybercrime community. <\/p>\n<p>In October, <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/lockbit-arrests-ransomware-fbi-uk-nca-evil-corp\/\">law enforcement agencies announced<\/a> additional arrests, seizures and sanctions targeting LockBit ransomware infrastructure, and 16 people were either arrested, sanctioned or both by the U.S. or U.K. <\/p>\n<p><\/body> <\/p>\n<footer class=\"single-article__footer\" readability=\"4.0122377622378\">\n<div class=\"author-card\" readability=\"14\">\n<div class=\"author-card__avatar\">\n<figure class=\"author-card__image-wrap\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"author-card__image\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/israeli-court-to-hear-u-s-extradition-request-for-alleged-lockbit-developer-1.jpg?w=640&ssl=1\" alt=\"Greg Otto\"> <\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><h4 class=\"author-card__name\">Written by Greg Otto<\/h4>\n<p> Greg Otto is Editor-in-Chief of CyberScoop, overseeing all editorial content for the website. Greg has led cybersecurity coverage that has won various awards, including accolades from the Society of Professional Journalists and the American Society of Business Publication Editors. Prior to joining Scoop News Group, Greg worked for the Washington Business Journal, U.S. News & World Report and WTOP Radio. 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{"id":6701,"date":"2024-12-19T15:14:57","date_gmt":"2024-12-19T21:14:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/?p=82961"},"modified":"2024-12-19T15:14:57","modified_gmt":"2024-12-19T21:14:57","slug":"israeli-court-to-hear-u-s-extradition-request-for-alleged-lockbit-developer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/2024\/12\/19\/israeli-court-to-hear-u-s-extradition-request-for-alleged-lockbit-developer\/","title":{"rendered":"Israeli court to hear U.S. extradition request for alleged LockBit developer"},"content":{"rendered":"