Sanda Deacon, who operated the illegal online market E-ROOT, has been extradited to the United States to face court proceedings, where he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment for selling access to compromised computers.
Deacon, a citizen of Moldova, was arrested in the UK in May 2021 while attempting to flee the country after authorities seized the E-ROT domains at the end of 2020.
Last month, Deacon agreed to be extradited to the United States to face charges of fraud through electronic communication, money laundering, computer fraud, and fraud using access funds.
In addition to imprisonment, US law enforcement agencies are seeking the confiscation of Deacon’s profits from his illegal activities; however, the amount has yet to be determined.
About the E-ROT Market
E-ROT was an illegal market that offered access to hacked computers worldwide in exchange for cryptocurrency. Investigations have revealed that the market listed over 350,000 compromised systems for sale, including computers from various industries and at least one government system in Tampa.
Buyers were provided with search tools to find affordable offers based on criteria such as price range, region, internet provider, operating system, and more.
E-ROOT operated on a widely distributed network to ensure stability and avoid detection. It employed methods to conceal the identities of sellers, buyers, and administrators.
The market also facilitated the exchange of cryptocurrencies, allowing users to convert Bitcoin into Perfect Money, a legal electronic transaction service.
According to the US Department of Justice, evidence suggests that access purchased through E-ROOT was used for cybercrimes, including extortion attacks.
The US Department of Justice stated that many victims experienced extortion software attacks, and some of the stolen accounts sold on the market were connected to fraud schemes involving stolen tax data.
Deacon has not entered a plea to the charges and is presumed innocent until proven guilty.