Russian Man Sentenced In Minnesota Computer Fraud Case

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- A Russian man has been sentenced in Minnesota to nearly four years in federal prison in connection with a global computer fraud case.

Authorities say 41-year-old Maxim Senakh and his associates installed malware on tens of thousands of computer servers worldwide to generate millions of dollars in fraudulent payments for themselves. The malware was used in various click-fraud and spam email schemes.

Senakh was indicted in 2015 and subsequently arrested by Finnish authorities before he was extradited to the U.S. to face charges.

Senakh, of Velikii Novgorod, Russia, pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy to violate the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and wire fraud.

Authorities say the case was handled in Minnesota because the agency's cyber investigators were searching for threats and found that Senakh was victimizing Minnesota citizens.

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