Overview
- Feras Khalil Ahmad Albashiti, 40, known online as “r1z,” pleaded guilty in New Jersey federal court to access‑device fraud following his transfer to U.S. custody in July 2024.
- On May 19, 2023 he sold an undercover FBI agent access to at least 50 corporate networks for $5,000 in cryptocurrency.
- The agent later paid $15,000 for an EDR‑disabling tool and additional malware that Albashiti marketed to bypass defenses and elevate privileges.
- During a live demonstration to an FBI‑controlled server, he exposed his IP address, which prosecutors say ties him to a ransomware attack that cost an unnamed U.S. manufacturer $50 million.
- Investigators connected the alias “r1z” to Albashiti using U.S. State Department visa records and linked Google and Google Pay account data, and he faces up to 10 years in prison and a possible $250,000 fine.