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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Aleksi Kolarov, a Bulgarian national accused of selling stolen financial data and counterfeit identity documents through the Shadowcrew forum, was extradited from Paraguay to the United States in 2013 to face federal charges. His arrest came in 2011; the extradition came roughly nine years after U.S. authorities dismantled Shadowcrew in 2004. The contemporaneous report described allegations and charges, not a finding of guilt or the eventual outcome of his case.
Timeline: takedown, arrest, and extradition
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2004 | U.S. authorities dismantled Shadowcrew, a cybercrime forum. |
| June 14, 2011 | CSO reported that Kolarov was arrested at a hotel in Asunción, Paraguay. |
| July 2, 2013 | CSO reported that Kolarov had been extradited from Paraguay to the United States. |
| After extradition | According to CSO, Kolarov appeared in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. |
The interval between the forum’s dismantling and Kolarov’s extradition was about nine years, but the 2013 account places his arrest in Paraguay in 2011. CSO’s July 2, 2013 report is the contemporaneous account for the arrest, extradition, court appearance, and charges.
What Kolarov was accused of
CSO said the indictment charged Kolarov with one count each of conspiracy, transferring false identification documents, and offering access devices without authorization. The indictment, as summarized in that report, alleged that Kolarov used the alias APK and acted as a Shadowcrew vendor selling stolen financial data and counterfeit identity documents.
These were allegations at the time of the report. The available account does not establish that Kolarov was convicted, nor does it establish the eventual disposition of the case. Any potential maximum penalties discussed in 2013 described possible exposure if convicted; they should not be mistaken for a sentence.
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What Shadowcrew was and how large it was said to be
Shadowcrew was described as a carding forum: a venue for trafficking stolen personal and financial information and fraudulent identification documents. The U.S. government’s 2008 President’s Identity Theft Task Force report identified Shadowcrew among such forums and said the Department of Justice had brought more than 30 cases against the organization. The task force report provides that broader context.
Figures in the 2013 CSO account were attributed to U.S. authorities, rather than presented as independently calculated totals:
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- More than 1.5 million stolen credit card details were said to have been trafficked and misused.
- Losses to card companies, financial institutions, and cardholders were reported as exceeding $4 million.
- The forum was reported to have had around 4,000 members.
- CSO said 19 people had been indicted and three remained at large at the time of its report.
These numbers describe the scale alleged or reported by authorities at the time; they are not a verified accounting of every transaction or loss. CSO’s report attributes the figures to U.S. authorities.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What officials said about the extradition
SecurityWeek’s contemporaneous coverage attributed this statement to U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman: “This extradition shows that hiding behind computers and borders does not deter us.” It was a prosecutorial statement about the extradition, not a judicial finding about the allegations. SecurityWeek’s report contains the statement and its attribution.
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