Russian And Kazakhstani Men Indicted For Running Dark Web Criminal Marketplaces, Forums, And Trainings

Tampa, Florida - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Alex Khodyrev (35, Kazakhstan) and Pavel Kublitskii (37, Russia) with conspiracy to commit access device fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. If convicted on all counts, each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Khodyrev and Kublitskii that the United States intends to forfeit Khodyrev's 2023 Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG sport utility vehicle and Kublitskii's 2020 Cadillac CT5 Sport sedan, both of which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offenses.

According to the indictment, between 2014 and 2024, Khodyrev and Kublitskii served as two of the main administrators of wwh-club.ws (WWH Club) and several sister websites, all of which were dark web marketplaces, forums, and training centers that existed solely to facilitate crime. WWH Club and sister site members used the marketplaces to buy and sell stolen personal identifying information (PII), credit card and bank account information, and computer passwords, among other sensitive information. On the forums of WWH Club and its sister sites, users discussed best practices for committing frauds, launching cyberattacks, and evading law enforcement, among other topics. WWH Club also offered online courses that taught aspiring and active cyber criminals how to commit frauds. As of 2023, WWH Club had approximately 353,000 users worldwide. Khodyrev, Kublitskii, and other co-conspirator site administrators profited through membership fees, tuition fees, and advertising revenue.

Prior to being arrested and indicted, Khodyrev, a Russian citizen, and Kublitskii, a citizen of Kazakhstan, had been living in Miami for the past two years, while secretly continuing to administer WWH Club and its sister dark web marketplaces, forums, and schools.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael M. Gordon.