The US Treasury Department sanctioned 10 individuals and one entity on October 28, targeting North Korean IT worker schemes. Among those sanctioned are two Russian nationals, Vitold Viktorovich Obertas and Ilya Boykov, accused of facilitating financial transactions for the North Korean regime.
According to the Treasury, Obertas converted nearly $2 million in cryptocurrency for North Korean officials since January 2025 and handled at least $1.25 million in other currency transactions. Chainalysis data indicates that Obertas' wallet received funds from the sanctioned IT firm Amnokgang and made deposits at both mainstream and sanctioned exchanges.
Ilya Boykov allegedly converted approximately $3.5 million in cryptocurrency for the North Korean company Alis since 2024. Chainalysis traced these funds to the Russian exchange Garantex, which has been under US sanctions since April 2022. US authorities seized the domains of Garantex in March 2025.
The Treasury warned that financial institutions and exchanges face secondary sanctions risks for dealings with designated persons. US persons are required to block any property belonging to these individuals and report it to the Office of Foreign Assets Control. Chainalysis has updated its screening tools to trigger alerts for transfers involving the identified addresses.
