U.S. Department of Justice: Over $15.1 million in USDT stolen by North Korean hackers seized, 5 accomplices have pleaded guilty

According to The Block, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced that it has initiated a forfeiture process for over $15.1 million in USDT stolen by North Korean hackers and successfully secured guilty pleas from five individuals who assisted North Korean IT personnel in infiltrating U.S. companies.

The DOJ pointed out that the seized cryptocurrency assets are linked to the North Korean military hacking group APT38, which attacked four overseas virtual currency platforms in 2023. The FBI seized the related funds in March 2025 and is currently seeking court approval to forfeit and return the assets to the victims.

Additionally, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that four U.S. citizens and one Ukrainian national have pleaded guilty, admitting to providing stolen identity information to North Korean IT personnel and hosting company laptops on their behalf, allowing them to pose as working in the U.S. These actions helped North Korean IT personnel successfully infiltrate 136 U.S. companies, generating over $2.2 million in revenue for the North Korean government and resulting in the theft of identities of at least 18 U.S. citizens.