# U.S. Sanctions 10 People and Russia-Based Entity Over North Korean IT Scheme

By Riza Dagoc

Canonical URL: https://www.tokenpost.com/news/regulation/42918
Published: 2026-10-28T20:24:13.000Z
Updated: 2026-10-28T20:24:13.000Z
Section: Regulation

> Six North Korean IT workers operating in Russia generated more than $750,000 for the North Korean-controlled center, OFAC said.

The U.S. Treasury sanctioned 10 people and one Russia-based entity Oct. 28, accusing them of supporting North Korean IT worker schemes that generated revenue for weapons programs.

The designations came from the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The agency alleges Russian national Ilya Aleksandrovich Boykov supported North Korean company Alis starting in 2024, converting cryptocurrency worth the equivalent of $3.5 million, monitoring transactions and handling logistics.

OFAC identified Russian national Vitold Viktorovich Obertas as an intermediary. It says he handled nearly $2 million in cryptocurrency conversions for North Korean officials beginning in January 2025, along with at least $1.25 million in transactions involving other currencies.

OFAC also designated First Financial and Technical Development Center (FFTDC), a North Korean-controlled entity based in Russia. Six North Korean IT workers operating there generated more than $750,000 for FFTDC since 2025, the agency said.

North Korean IT workers use false documents, stolen identities and fabricated personas to get jobs at legitimate companies, OFAC said. The North Korean regime appropriates most of their wages, which help fund the country’s weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs, the agency said.

The sanctions block the designated parties’ property in the United States or under the control of U.S. persons. U.S. persons and transactions in the United States are generally barred from dealing with that property unless OFAC authorizes or exempts the activity.

The action follows a March 12 designation targeting a separate North Korean IT worker network. Australia and the European Union also imposed sanctions against people and entities supporting North Korea this month.