Russian man with Kremlin ties gets 9 years in US prison for hacking and insider trading scheme

A wealthy Russian businessman with ties to the Kremlin was sentenced Thursday to nine years in prison for his role in a nearly $100 million stock market cheating scheme that relied on secret earnings information stolen through the hacking of U.S. computer networks.

Vladislav Klyushin, who ran a Moscow-based information technology company that did work for the highest levels of the Russian government, was convicted in February of charges including wire fraud and securities fraud after a two-week trial in federal court in Boston.

His sentencing comes as American officials have been working to free Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, a U.S. citizen who has been detained in Russia since March. The Kremlin has suggested that it’s open to a possible prisoner exchange, and President Joe Biden has said he’s serious about pursuing a swap, though it’s unclear whether Klyushin would be involved.