US sentences Australian man to 87 months in prison for selling cyber secrets to Russian firm

By Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA) - An Australian national was sentenced to 87 months in a US. prison for stealing sensitive cyber-exploit tools from his employer, a US. defense contractor, and selling them to a Russian cybersecurity broker.

Peter Williams, 39, pleaded guilty in October 2025 to two counts of trade secret theft, admitting he stole eight cyber-exploit components over three years and sold them to Operation Zero, a St. Petersburg-based firm, in exchange for cryptocurrency payments worth up to $4 million.

“These incredibly powerful tools would have allowed Russia to access millions of digital devices,” said US Attorney Jeanine Pirro of the District of Columbia.

Beyond the prison term, Judge Loren AliKhan of the US District Court for the District of Columbia ordered Williams to serve three years of supervised release with special conditions and to forfeit a money judgment of $1.3 million, cryptocurrency and property, including a house and luxury items such as watches and jewelry, according to a Justice Department statement Tuesday. A restitution hearing was set for May 12.

Assistant Attorney General John Eisenberg said Williams had “exploited his senior role” to enrich himself at the expense of both his employer and the United States.

The sentencing follows separate actions by the Treasury and State departments, which sanctioned Operation Zero and its owner, Sergey Zelenyuk, along with several associates, for their role in acquiring and distributing the stolen tools.