Four North Korean nationals have been charged in a federal indictment for their involvement in a scheme to steal and launder nearly $1 million in cryptocurrency. The individuals, identified as Kim Kwang Jin (김관진), Kang Tae Bok (강태복), Jong Pong Ju (정봉주), and Chang Nam Il (창남일), allegedly posed as remote IT workers to carry out the theft.
U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg stated, “The defendants used fake and stolen personal identities to conceal their North Korean nationality, pose as remote IT workers, and exploit their victims’ trust to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars.” He emphasized the threat posed by North Korea to companies hiring remote IT workers.
Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg highlighted that these schemes are designed to evade sanctions and fund illicit programs in North Korea, including weapons programs. “The Justice Department, along with our law enforcement, private sector, and international partners, will persistently pursue and dismantle these cyber-enabled revenue generation networks,” he said.
Paul Brown from the FBI’s Atlanta office noted the use of false identities by North Korean operatives to infiltrate companies and steal digital assets. “The FBI is committed to exposing these threats and protecting U.S. businesses from nation-state cybercrime,” he stated.
The indictment reveals that Kim Kwang Jin and Jong Pong Ju were hired under false pretenses by an Atlanta-based blockchain company and a Serbian virtual token company between December 2020 and May 2021. Using stolen identities, they gained access to virtual currency assets which they later stole—approximately $175,000 in February 2022 by Jong Pong Ju and around $740,000 in March 2022 by Kim Kwang Jin.
To launder the stolen funds, they utilized a virtual currency mixer before transferring them to accounts controlled by Kang Tae Bok and Chang Nam Il using fraudulent Malaysian documents.
All four were indicted on June 24, 2025, by a federal grand jury in Georgia. The charges include wire fraud and money laundering.
This investigation is being conducted by the FBI as part of the Department of Justice’s DPRK RevGen: Domestic Enabler Initiative aimed at targeting North Korea’s illicit revenue efforts.
Assistant United States Attorneys Samir Kaushal and Alex R. Sistla, alongside Trial Attorney Jacques Singer-Emery from the National Security Division’s Cyber Section, are handling the prosecution.
For more information regarding this case or related inquiries contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office via email or phone as provided above.
