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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Yevgeniy Alexandrovich Nikulin was sentenced to 88 months in U.S. federal prison on September 30, 2020, after a jury convicted him of hacking LinkedIn, Dropbox and Formspring. The Ninth Circuit later upheld the prison term but vacated the restitution order and sent that issue back for further proceedings.
What Nikulin was accused of
A 2016 U.S. indictment alleged that Nikulin carried out intrusions involving LinkedIn, Dropbox and Formspring. Those were allegations at the time, not jury findings. The case later included a separate court finding concerning an intrusion at Automattic, the parent company of WordPress.com.
Arrest and extradition
According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Nikulin was arrested in the Czech Republic on October 5, 2016, while traveling there. He appeared in U.S. federal court on March 30, 2018, after being extradited from the Czech Republic. DOJ’s extradition announcement documents that step in the case.
What the jury decided
After a six-day trial, a federal jury returned guilty verdicts on July 10, 2020. DOJ’s account of the verdict described findings involving intrusions into LinkedIn, Dropbox and Formspring; malware-related damage to LinkedIn and Formspring; theft and use of employee credentials; and the sale, or conspiracy to sell, stolen data. These are descriptions of the jury’s findings as reported by DOJ, distinct from the broader allegations in the original indictment. Read DOJ’s verdict announcement.
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At sentencing, DOJ also reported a court finding concerning an intrusion at Automattic. It said there was no evidence Nikulin stole Automattic customer credentials. DOJ’s sentencing release describes that distinction.
The 88-month prison sentence
On September 30, 2020, U.S. District Judge William H. Alsup sentenced Nikulin to 88 months in prison. DOJ reported that he would begin serving the sentence immediately. The sentencing announcement identifies the term and date.
What happened on appeal
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the 88-month prison term. It separately vacated the restitution award and remanded the restitution question because the evidence supporting losses and costs was deficient. In other words, the appeal did not overturn Nikulin’s prison sentence; it sent the restitution issue back for further consideration. The ruling is a nonprecedential Ninth Circuit disposition. Read the Ninth Circuit disposition.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is—and is not—established about his current status
The case sources cited here establish the sentence and the appellate outcome, but they do not establish Nikulin’s current custody status or whether later proceedings occurred. The 88-month term alone should not be used to infer either.
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