UPDATE 2 - Russian National Burkov Signs Plea Deal With US Government, Faces 15 Years

ALEXANDRIA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th January, 2020) Russian national Alexei Burkov pleaded guilty to two counts of cybercrime-related charges entailing a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison under a deal with US Government, a Sputnik correspondent reported from the court.

Burkov admitted access device fraud and conspiracy to commit access device fraud, identity theft, computer intrusion, wire fraud, and money laundering in return for the dismissal of another three initial charges.

"Under a plea agreement you plead guilty to counts 2 and 5 of the superseding indictment... In return of plea of guilty the government agrees not to prosecute you further," Judge T.S.Ellis III told the defendant on Thursday.

Maximum penalty on the two counts is 10 and 5 years in prison respectively.

"The worst thing that can happen to you on this case will be 15 years that can run either consecutively or concurrently," the judge explained.

He scheduled the sentencing for May 8, forfeiting a jury trial procedure.

"I am guilty, Sir, and would like to apologize at the next hearing," Burkov said after hearing both charges and explanation of the deal through an interpreter.

He is suspected of running two websites for hackers - a floor for trading in stolen payment card data and an "elite cybercriminals" forum. The prosecution believes that over 150,000 cardholders and thousands of financial companies may qualify as victims in the trial.

Burkov initially pleaded not guilty to all five counts with a cumulative maximum penalty of 80 years in prison.

His lawyer Gregory Stambaugh told reporters that he was pleased with the deal. Stambaugh hopes that the penalty will be below maximum and the judge will take into account four years that Burkov served in Israeli prison awaiting extradition to the US

Later in the day, Judge Ellis in a court document officially dismissed three of the counts against Burkov.

"The motion of the United States to dismiss counts one, three, and four of the superseding indictment in the above captioned case is hereby granted. It is therefore ORDERED that counts one, three, and four of the superseding indictment in this case are DISMISSED," Ellis said.