Stanislav Lisov, a convicted Russian computer hacker, returned to his home country Wednesday after being deported from the U.S. upon serving time in federal prison.
Lisov, 34, arrived in Moscow after U.S. immigration officials placed him the previous day on an international flight leaving from New York, several Russian media outlets reported.
“I’m glad and excited to return to my homeland,” Lisov said ahead of boarding the flight, Russia’s state-run TASS News agency reported.
Lisov had been arrested in Spain in January 2017, and he was held there for a full year prior to being extradited to the U.S. in connection with a high-profile cybercrime case.
The Department of Justice accused Lisov of creating and maintaining a network of compromised computers, or botnet, infected with a strain of malicious software called NeverQuest.
“Lisov used malware to infect victims’ computers, obtain their login credentials for online banking accounts and steal money out of their accounts,” U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman previously explained.
He ultimately pleaded guilty in February 2019 to a single related count of conspiracy to commit computer hacking, and he was sentenced in November to spend 48 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, as well as to pay a restitution of nearly a half-million dollars in damages.
Bureau of Prisons records indicate Lisov was released on June 10 when, according to Russian news reports, he was transferred to a deportation center and subsequently sent home.
The Justice Department referred to U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement when reached for comment.
In a statement, ICE officials told The Washington Times that Lisov was removed from the U.S. on Tuesday “without incident.”
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