Ukrainian gets 5 years for helping North Koreans infiltrate US firms

Bleeping Computer

by Sergiu Gatlan

February 20, 2026

AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary

A Ukrainian national, Oleksandr Didenko, has been sentenced to five years in prison for aiding North Korean IT workers in infiltrating U.S. companies using stolen identities. Didenko, 39, was arrested in Poland in May 2024 and pleaded guilty in November 2025 to charges of aggravated identity theft and wire fraud conspiracy. He was sentenced to 60 months in prison, followed by 12 months of supervised release, and ordered to forfeit over $1.4 million, including cash and cryptocurrency seized from him and his accomplices. Didenko facilitated a scheme that involved stealing the identities of hundreds of individuals, including U.S. citizens, which were then sold through an online platform called UpWorkSell. These stolen identities allowed North Korean workers to secure legitimate-looking IT jobs with 40 U.S. companies in states like California and Pennsylvania. Didenko provided at least 871 proxy identities and accounts on freelance hiring platforms, enabling North Koreans to伪装their locations as if they were within the United States. This deception included operating "laptop farms" in various countries, including the U.S., to make it appear as though IT work was being done domestically. One notable accomplice was Christina Marie Chapman, a 50-year-old woman from Arizona, who ran a "laptop farm" from her home between October 2020 and October 2023. Chapman was charged in May 2024 and later sentenced to 102 months in prison after pleading guilty in July 2025. The FBI has been actively addressing the threat posed by North Korean cyberactors, who have been using stolen identities to secure IT jobs in American companies since at least 2023. This case highlights the growing sophistication of North Korean state-backed hacking groups, such as Lazarus, which have increasingly turned to AI tools and identity theft to infiltrate U.S. firms. The use of "laptop farms" and stolen identities not only creates a backdoor into the U.S. job market but also poses significant risks to national security and corporate infrastructure. As cyber threats continue to evolve, understanding these tactics is crucial for businesses and individuals aiming to protect their data and systems from foreign adversaries.

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Originally published on Bleeping Computer on 2/20/2026