Daniel Christian Hulea, 30 years old, from Romania, was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for executing ransomware attacks on healthcare companies and educational organizations during the pandemic. The man was an affiliate of the NetWalker ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) operation.
The U.S. Department of Justice reported in January 2021 that over $450,000 in cryptocurrency was seized during an organized International law enforcement operation involving the NetWalker ransomware group. The analysis of the seized NetWalker servers in Bulgaria indicated that NetWalker has a network of about 100 affiliates throughout Eastern Europe. The group is thought to have carried out over 1,500 ransomware attacks from the Fall of 2019 until today and is believed to have been behind over $146 million (1,500 BTC) in extortion payments.
That operation resulted in the filing of charges against Sebastian Vachon-Desjardins, a Canadian affiliate of the Netwalker ransomware group. Allegedly, Vachon-Desjardins accumulated over $27.6 million in ransom payments from cyberattacks on Canada and the United States. Vachon-Desjardins agreed to a plea deal and was imprisoned for 20 years at the beginning of this year. He also faces charges in Canada for supposed attacks on approximately 17 Canadian firms. During Vachon-Desjardins’ sentencing, District Court Judge Willian Jung stated that this case was among the worst lawsuits he had witnessed, and in case there was no plea deal and the case proceeded with the trial, Jung probably received a life imprisonment sentence.
In July 2023, Romanian law enforcement arrested Hulea in Cluj, Romania upon the request of U.S. authorities. Hulea was handed over to the United States in 2024 to face litigation in the Middle District of Florida. On June 20, 2024, Hulea also agreed to a plea deal, where he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to execute computer fraudulence and one count of conspiracy to execute wire fraud.
Hulea confessed to performing several attacks on United States entities being an affiliate of the NetWalker ransomware group. He acted together with a co-conspirator and got about $21.5 million (1,595 BTC) in ransom payments. Hulea is set to serve a maximum of 5 years imprisonment for one count of computer fraud and 20 years in prison for one count of wire fraud. He allegedly got 20 years imprisonment and was instructed to surrender the $21.5 million he gained from his cyberattacks and give up his stake in an Indonesian firm that is presently building an extravagant resort in Bali, Indonesia. Hulea also needs to pay $14,991,580.01 in penalty (not related to HIPAA violation) and help with the litigation of other affiliates of the NetWalker ransomware group.