DOJ Extradites 19-Year-Old Scattered Spider Hacker in $100 Million Crypto Ransom Case

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Peter Stokes, a 19-year-old dual U.S.-Estonian citizen accused of belonging to the cybercrime group Scattered Spider, was extradited from Finland to the United States and made his initial appearance before a federal court in Chicago on July 1. Finnish authorities arrested Stokes in April 2026 pursuant to an Interpol Red Notice before his extradition to the U.S. in June.

Federal prosecutors allege Stokes was part of a hacking group responsible for over 100 network intrusions generating more than $100 million in cryptocurrency ransom payments. He has been charged with conspiracy, computer intrusion and fraud. One alleged attack in May 2025 targeted a luxury jewellery retailer, with conspirators demanding approximately $8 million in cryptocurrency, though the company removed the attackers before any payment was made.