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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Evaldas Rimasauskas, the Lithuanian suspect in a business email compromise case involving more than $100 million, was extradited to New York in August 2017. The case later resulted in a guilty plea: he admitted wire fraud in March 2019 and was sentenced to five years in prison that December.
Who was extradited, and what was alleged?
Rimasauskas, a Lithuanian citizen from Vilnius, was arrested in Lithuania in March 2017 on a provisional arrest warrant and extradited to the Southern District of New York in August, according to the U.S. Department of Justice’s August 17, 2017 announcement.
Prosecutors alleged that he orchestrated a business email compromise (BEC) scheme that caused two U.S.-based internet companies to send money to bank accounts he controlled. The extradition announcement put the alleged amount at more than $100 million. At that stage, the charges were accusations, not a finding of guilt; the DOJ said Rimasauskas was presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
How did the alleged email fraud work?
In its March 21, 2017 arrest announcement, the DOJ described indictment allegations that emails were made to appear as if they came from employees or agents of the victim companies. Prosecutors said the scheme used false payment instructions, fabricated invoices and other documents, and accounts in several countries to route the transfers.
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BEC is a form of payment fraud in which a criminal manipulates business communications or payment details to persuade an organization to send money. In this case, the prosecution’s account centered on impersonation and fraudulent instructions rather than a claim that a particular security product or device was used.
Why do the reported amounts differ?
The DOJ used different figures in releases issued at different stages of the case. Its 2017 extradition announcement said the scheme induced the companies to wire more than $100 million. Its December 19, 2019 sentencing announcement described more than $120 million transferred to accounts Rimasauskas controlled. Those are the figures as stated in the respective releases; the later figure should not be silently substituted into the 2017 headline or treated as evidence that the earlier release was necessarily erroneous.
What happened after the extradition?
Rimasauskas pleaded guilty to wire fraud on March 20, 2019. On December 19, 2019, he was sentenced to 60 months in prison and two years of supervised release. The DOJ’s sentencing announcement also reported forfeiture of $49,738,559.41 and restitution of $26,479,079.24.
The FBI’s January 28, 2020 case summary likewise identifies the operation as a Lithuania-based BEC scheme and says Rimasauskas pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years in prison.
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What can businesses take from the case?
The case illustrates why organizations should independently verify payment changes and unusual wire instructions through a trusted channel, rather than relying solely on an email thread or documents attached to it. The FBI advises affected parties to contact law enforcement promptly and file a complaint through its Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). The case sources do not establish that any particular product would have prevented this fraud.
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