The Ukrainian IT expert was extradited by the FBI to Texas by plane due to accusations of hacker attacks

Is it really guilty?

26-year-old Ukrainian IT specialist Mark Sokolovsky was extradited to the United States after being detained in the Netherlands on March 20, 2022. Sokolowski, described by US authorities as a dangerous hacker, faces serious allegations that he is the main developer of Raccoon, a widespread malware that reportedly helped cybercriminals steal passwords and financial information from more than two million victims.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas filed an indictment naming Sokolowski as the primary developer of Raccoon Infostealer. Since 2019, this software has been advertised on several Russian-language cybercrime forums, including Exploit.in.

According to Sokolovsky’s mother, Elena Negaeva, he was brought to the United States on the morning of January 12 on an FBI plane, accompanied by a medical team, headed for Texas. The specific prison where Sokolovsky is being held has not been disclosed.

Negaeva expressed concern about her son’s health, contradicting medical reports that claimed Sokolovsky was healthy. She shared the last page of Sokolowski’s diary, dated Jan. 10, which describes a visit by an independent doctor while Sokolowski was in his cell. The recording details Sokolowski’s complaints of headaches, dizziness, hallucinations and a large swelling under his right eye, along with a doctor’s confirmation of the cold conditions in the cell.

Sokolovsky insists on his innocence, claiming that he could not have committed the crimes he was accused of. This opinion is shared by a Dutch IT entrepreneur and former employer of Sokolovsky, with whom we managed to communicate. If found guilty, Sokolovsky faces up to 47 years in prison.