Russian Hoops Star Arrested in France Amid U.S. Cybercrime Charges

French authorities apprehended a Russian professional basketball player at the request of the United States, where he is sought for allegedly being involved in a ransomware hacking operation, a court in Paris was informed on Wednesday.

Daniil Kasatkin, 26, who had played college basketball at Penn State University and most recently for Moscow’s MBA-MAI, was taken into custody at Charles de Gaulle Airport on June 21, according to officials.

U.S. authorities allege that he facilitated negotiations for a group that compromised the computer systems of approximately 900 companies, as well as two federal government entities, from 2020 to 2022, demanding ransom payments to cease their attacks.

Kasatkin denies these charges.

«He purchased a second-hand computer. He has done nothing wrong. He is in disbelief,» his attorney, Frederic Belot, told AFP.

«He is not tech-savvy. He can’t even install an application. He did not tamper with that computer. Either it was hacked or sold to him by someone posing as another person,» Belot explained further.

The court has denied bail for Kasatkin as he faces the possibility of being extradited to the U.S.

Belot mentioned that Kasatkin had recently become engaged and traveled to France with his fiancée. He also expressed concern that the athlete’s health is deteriorating while in custody, which poses a risk to his basketball career.

Kasatkin played four seasons with MBA-MAI, helping the team secure third place twice in the Russian Basketball Cup. He also had a brief stint as a guard for Penn State during the 2018–2019 season.