Four North Korean nationals have been charged in a scheme involving the theft and laundering of nearly $1 million in cryptocurrency. The individuals, identified as Kim Kwang Jin, Kang Tae Bok, Jong Pong Ju, and Chang Nam Il, allegedly posed as remote IT workers to carry out their plan.
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 unique threat posed by North Korea to companies hiring remote IT workers.
John A. Eisenberg from the Department’s National Security Division highlighted that these schemes are designed to evade sanctions and fund North Korea's illicit programs. "The Justice Department... will persistently pursue and dismantle these cyber-enabled revenue generation networks," he said.
Paul Brown of FBI Atlanta noted that "North Korean operatives used false identities to infiltrate companies and steal digital assets to fund their regime."
According to court information presented by U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea dispatches skilled IT workers globally for such operations. In October 2019, the defendants traveled on North Korean documents to the United Arab Emirates where they worked together. By December 2020 and May 2021, Kim Kwang Jin and Jong Pong Ju were hired by companies based in Georgia and Serbia under false identities.
After gaining access to virtual currency assets through their employment roles, Jong Pong Ju stole approximately $175,000 in February 2022 while Kim Kwang Jin took about $740,000 in March 2022 by altering smart contract source codes.
To launder these funds, they utilized a virtual currency mixer before transferring them into exchange accounts managed by Kang Tae Bok and Chang Nam Il using fraudulent Malaysian identification documents.
The four individuals were indicted by a federal grand jury in Georgia on June 24, 2025. It is important to note that an indictment contains charges only; the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This investigation is led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as part of the Department of Justice’s DPRK RevGen: Domestic Enabler Initiative launched in March 2024. This initiative focuses on targeting illicit revenue generation efforts linked to North Korea.
Assistant United States Attorneys Samir Kaushal and Alex R. Sistla along with Trial Attorney Jacques Singer-Emery are prosecuting this case.
For more details or inquiries contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office via email at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or phone (404) 581-6185. Further information can be found on their website at http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga