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7/10/2025, 6:52:27 AM
Russian Basketball Player Held in France on US Hacking Charges, Faces Extradition
A Russian professional basketball player has been detained in France on a U.S. warrant and faces extradition on charges of being part of a ransomware hacking ring, according to court officials.
Daniil Kasatkin, 26, was arrested at Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport on June 21 after arriving in the country with his fiancée. U.S. authorities accuse him of "conspiracy to commit computer fraud" for his alleged role in a hacker network that targeted approximately 900 companies, including two federal agencies, between 2020 and 2022. Prosecutors allege Kasatkin's role was to negotiate ransom payments from the victims.
Kasatkin, who briefly played college basketball at Penn State University in the United States, denies the charges. At a hearing on Wednesday, his lawyer, Frédéric Bélot, argued that his client has poor computer skills and was unknowingly caught up in the scheme. "He bought a used computer... it was either hacked, or a hacker sold it to him to act under another person's name," Bélot stated.
A French court ruled to keep Kasatkin in custody pending the extradition hearing. His former club, Moscow's MBA-MAI, announced on July 3 that the player was leaving the team after four seasons.
A Russian professional basketball player has been detained in France on a U.S. warrant and faces extradition on charges of being part of a ransomware hacking ring, according to court officials.
Daniil Kasatkin, 26, was arrested at Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport on June 21 after arriving in the country with his fiancée. U.S. authorities accuse him of "conspiracy to commit computer fraud" for his alleged role in a hacker network that targeted approximately 900 companies, including two federal agencies, between 2020 and 2022. Prosecutors allege Kasatkin's role was to negotiate ransom payments from the victims.
Kasatkin, who briefly played college basketball at Penn State University in the United States, denies the charges. At a hearing on Wednesday, his lawyer, Frédéric Bélot, argued that his client has poor computer skills and was unknowingly caught up in the scheme. "He bought a used computer... it was either hacked, or a hacker sold it to him to act under another person's name," Bélot stated.
A French court ruled to keep Kasatkin in custody pending the extradition hearing. His former club, Moscow's MBA-MAI, announced on July 3 that the player was leaving the team after four seasons.
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