RUSSIA — Shaltay-Boltay Leader Could Be Released on Parole

“We get orders from government structures and from private individuals. But we say we are an independent team. It’s just that often it’s impossible to tell who the client is. Sometimes we get information for intermediaries, without knowing who the end client is.”

Russian Hacker Vladimir Anikeev aka “Lewis”– 2015 Interview

Vladimir Anikeev (‘Lewis’)

Vladimir Anikeev — the former leader of the disbanded Russian hacker group Shaltay-Boltay (Humpty Dumpty) — has filed a petition for parole. Taking into account the time he has spent in jail since he was arrested in October 2016, Anikeev has already served more than a third of his 2-year sentence. [Other defendants of the case, Konstantin Teplyakov and Alexander Filinov, were sentenced to 3 years in prison. ] By law, Anikeev has therefore the right to apply for parole, which — according to Russian media — he did on December 22 2017. [Source : Crime Russia] Follow us on Twitter: @Intel_Today

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Between October and December 2016, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) has arrested three members of the Anonymous International/Shaltay-Boltay: Vladimir Anikeev –the leader and founder of the group — as well as two of his alleged accomplices Aleksandr Filinov and Konstantin Tepljakov. Vladimir Anikeev’s girlfriend Irina Shevchenko is on the FSB “wanted list”.

The FSB has also arrested Ruslan Stoyanov, the former head of Kaspersky Lab’s “Computer Incident Investigation Department”. Last but not least, the FSB has arrested Colonel Sergey Mikhailov and his colleague Major Dmitry Dokuchaev, both senior officers of the 2nd Operational Management of FSB Information Security Center.

US media have generally reported that the arrest of Ruslan Stoyanov and several high-ranking officers of the Federal Security Service – Colonel Sergey Mikhaylov and Major Dmitry Dokuchayev — are connected to the case of the Shaltay Boltay hacker group. Most US reports have suggested that this story is also ‘somehow’ related to the alleged “hack” of the 2016 US Presidential election.

Indeed, according to some media reports, the testimony given by Anikeev helped to initiate a case against Sergey Mikhailov — the former Head of the FSB Department of the Information Security Center — and his Deputy Dmitry Dokuchaev.

However, Anikeev has always claimed that the arrests of the FSB officers and Kaspersky Lab employee Ruslan Stoyanov — all of them charged with treason — have nothing to do with the Shaltay-Boltay case.

Yet, the rather light sentence of Anikeev compared to the maximum of 5 years set by the law– and 1 year shorter than the sentence of his accomplices — strongly suggests that Anikeev has provided valuable information to the investigators.

Therefore, I suspect that he will be granted parole. Moreover, it would not surprise me if Anikeev goes on to work for the FSB in the near future. Even if — and that is a bit surreal — a former accomplice has described Anikeev as computer-illiterate!

The header of the Shaltay-Boltay (Humpty Dumpty) website

Profile of Vladimir Anikeev (‘Lewis’)

Vladimir Anikeev claims to be a former journalist. Anikeev is believed to be the founder and leader of the site Shaltay-Boltay hacker group ( Humpty Dumpty).

ARREST — In October 2016, FSB operatives lured Vladimir Anikeev ( aka “Lewis”) from Kiev, where he lived in recent years. He was arrested at the border between Belarus and Russia and then transferred to Moscow.

LEGAL CHARGE — Anikeev has been charged under part 3 of Art. 272 of the Criminal Code (Illegal Access to Computer Information) with the maximum prison sentence of five years.

LIFE — Anikeev was born in Makhachkala. [The capital city of the Republic of Dagestan, Russia. It is located on the western shore of the Caspian Sea and is home to the Makhachkala Grand Mosque, one of Russia’s largest.] He moved to St. Petersburg in the 90’s, where — he claims — he worked as a journalist for some time. Anikeev has also lived in Moscow, Kiev and Bangkok.

WAG — His ex-wife Zinaida Anikeeva resides in Kiev and works as a fitness instructor. Anikeev’s girlfriend Irina Shevchenko — who worked as a trainer in the same club as Zinaida — also lives in Kiev. (Shevchenko is — or at least was — also wanted by the FSB.) [It could be that Russian media made up this part of the story.]

HACKING BUSINESS — In the 2000s, Anikeev teamed up with hackers, and started stealing information from computers of high-ranking officials and businessmen. The group worked both for themselves and for other people who employed them.

The hackers would then demand a ransom from these individuals. In case of refusal, they would sell this information for bitcoins through Ukraine and published it on the web.

“The group is famous for their attacks of email addresses and other means of communication of persons like Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich, News Media CEO Aram Gabrelyanov, former head of Ministry of Defense Construction Department Roman Filimonov and many others.” [Crime RUSSIA]

PHONE HACKED — FSB officers managed to identify all the members of the hacker group via Vladimir Anikeev’s phone. The operation resulted in detention of Konstantin Teplyakov and Aleksandr Filimonov. Ukrainian citizen Irina Shevchenko (‘Alice’), who is currently living in Kiev, is also on the “Wanted List” of the FSB.

TESTIMONY — According to Russian media, Anikeev’s testimony led to the arrest of Deputy Head of the FSB ISC [Information Security Center] Colonel Sergey Mikhailov and his colleague Major Dmitry Dokuchaev. [NOTE: Anikeev has denied this information.]

FORMER JOURNALIST? — In the past, Anikeev has described himself as a journalist who worked in St. Petersburg during the 90s. However, nobody in the St. Petersburg media world seems to remember him.

GUILTY PLEA — In early February 2017, Anikeev pleaded guilty to unauthorized access to computer information.

According to Anikeev’s lawyer Ruslan Koblev:

Anikeev confirmed that he is the hacker known as ‘Lewis’

Lewis was charged only with part 3 of Article 272 (Illegal Access to Computer Information).

Anikeev denies knowing FSB high-ranking officers Colonel Sergey Mikhailov and Major Dmitry Dokuchaev.

Anikeev claims that the arrests of the FSB officers and Kaspersky Lab employee — charged with treason — have nothing to do with his case.

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