Two Russians jailed in US for hacking

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Two Russians were sentenced to 12 years and four years in prison, respectively, for hacking computer networks of major companies in the US, the New Jersey District Attorney's office said.

Vladimir Drinkman, 37, and Dmitriy Smilianets, 34, were members of a network of hackers who raised hundreds of millions of dollars in the largest cybercrime ever uncovered in the US. Both were arrested in the Netherlands on June 28, 2012, and were subsequently extradited to the US to face criminal charges brought against them, Efe news reported.

The gang gained access to 160 million credit card numbers connected to Carrefour, Nasdaq, Dow Jones and JetBlue Airways database, the DA office said on Wednesday. The two had pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring to illegally access computers and conspiring to commit wire fraud.

Drinkman received a 12-year prison sentence, while Smilianets four years and four months, which he has already served while awaiting the sentence. Some of the other remaining members of the gang are also facing charges in other US states, while three are still absconding.

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