US seeks extradition of Russian basketball player for allegedly aiding ransomware gang

WTF?! A Russian professional basketball player was arrested in France last month at the behest of the US over allegations that he acted as a negotiator for a ransomware gang. He is currently being held in detention pending extradition to the United States, while his lawyer claims this is all because he bought a second-hand computer.

Daniil Kasatkin, 26, moved to the US at 17 and played NCAA basketball at Penn State University during the 2018 – 19 season before returning to Russia in 2019. During four seasons with Moscow's MBA-MAI, he appeared in 172 games. Kasatkin also represented Russia's youth national teams.

French media report that Kasatkin was arrested on June 21 after arriving at Charles de Gaulle airport with his fiancée, whom he had just proposed to.

Kasatkin is accused of being part of an unnamed ransomware gang that attacked around 900 organizations between 2020 and 2022, including two US federal agencies.

#CLIMBWITHUS 🤘🏼 pic.twitter.com/Lr9642rplM

Based on the description, it's believed that the group is the infamous Conti gang. Operating as a ransomware-as-a-service outfit, Conti targeted businesses, governments, and healthcare institutions worldwide, encrypting data and demanding large ransoms for decryption. Linked to Russia-based operators, the group gained infamy for its aggressive tactics, including data leaks and threats. Conti's operations unraveled in 2022 following internal leaks, public backlash over its pro-Kremlin stance, and increased pressure from law enforcement and security researchers.

Kasatki is accused by the American justice system of negotiating ransom payments as part of this network, which he denies. He is the subject of a US arrest warrant for "conspiracy to commit computer fraud" and "computer fraud conspiracy."

Kasatki's lawyer, Frédéric Bélot, told AFP that he has never committed the crimes he is accused of, claiming the accusations are linked to a second-hand computer he purchased.

"He's useless with computers and can't even install an application. He didn't touch anything on the computer: it was either hacked, or the hacker sold it to him to act under the cover of another person," Bélot said.

Another of Kasatki's lawyers, Vladimir Sarukhanov, said that he had "an ironclad alibi." Sarukhanov also complained that French authorities had been too slow when it came to checking evidence against his client.

The official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Maria Zakharova, said the Russian embassy in Paris is dealing with the issue.