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

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

The DOJ stated that the seized crypto assets are linked to the North Korean military hacker 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.

In addition, the DOJ announced that four U.S. citizens and one Ukrainian national have pleaded guilty to providing stolen identity information to North Korean IT personnel and acting as custodians for company laptops, enabling them to pose as working within the United States. These actions helped North Korean IT personnel successfully infiltrate 136 U.S. companies, generating more than $2.2 million in revenue for the North Korean government and resulting in the theft of at least 18 U.S. citizens' identities.