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Roman Seleznev, a Russian national convicted of hacking businesses’ point-of-sale systems and selling stolen payment-card data, was sentenced to 27 years in U.S. prison in 2017. Prosecutors had sought 30 years. In July 2024, President Joe Biden commuted his sentences to time served; the commutation left restitution intact and required Seleznev to leave the United States.

Who is Roman Seleznev?

Seleznev was a Russian hacker prosecuted in federal court in Seattle. The principal case centered on attacks against point-of-sale systems—the checkout computers and payment terminals businesses use to process transactions—and the sale of card data taken from those systems.

The U.S. Department of Justice said the case involved 38 counts and more than $169 million in damage. That figure describes the damage reported by DOJ; it should not be confused with a claim that Seleznev personally received that amount.

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How long did prosecutors ask for, and what sentence did he receive?

Stage Outcome What it means
Prosecutors’ request 30 years CyberScoop reported that prosecutors sought a 30-year sentence and cited nearly $170 million in fraudulent charges.
Sentence imposed 27 years in 2017 DOJ reported that the court sentenced Seleznev for 38 counts involving point-of-sale hacking and stolen-card sales, with damage exceeding $169 million.
Later clemency action Commuted to time served in July 2024 President Biden commuted Seleznev’s sentences. Restitution remained intact, and he was required to leave the United States.

The 27-year term was the sentence imposed in the principal case, not the 30 years prosecutors requested. The later commutation changed the prison term he had to serve; it did not erase the restitution obligation.

What happened after the 2017 sentence?

In July 2024, Biden commuted Seleznev’s sentences to time served. The clemency action did not cancel restitution, and Seleznev was required to depart the United States. Thus, the original 27-year sentence is the answer to how long the court sentenced him to prison in 2017, while time served describes the result after the commutation.

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How should the principal case be distinguished from related cases?

The 27-year sentence and the 38 counts described above refer to the principal Seattle case involving point-of-sale hacking and stolen-card sales. Seleznev was also associated with related cases, and Biden’s 2024 action referred to his sentences in the plural. The available figures here do not establish a separate sentence breakdown for each related case, so the 27-year figure should not be presented as a count-by-count or case-by-case total.

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