A United States court recently sentenced a Canadian citizen to
20 years in prison for his participation in the NetWalker
ransomware attacks. The case displays the coordination of law
enforcement units across borders in response to the threat of
attacks that similarly transcend borders.
Background
Following a request from the U.S. Federal Bureau of
Investigation for assistance identifying a Canadian suspect in
their investigation into NetWalker, the RCMP arrested Sebastien
Vachon-Desjardins, a former Government of Canada employee, in
January 2021. After his arrest, the RCMP searched his home and
seized 719 bitcoin (worth approximately $35 million at the time of
the seizure) and $790,000 cash. He was charged in Canada with
mischief in relation to computer data, unauthorized use of a
computer, extortion and participating in a criminal organization.
In January 2022, he pleaded guilty to three of the four charges,
and was sentenced by an Ontario court to seven
years in
