Two Russian Nationals Charged for Conspiring to Hack Taxi Dispatch System at JFK Airport

YS Gold 

ALEKSANDR DEREBENETC, a/k/a “Sasha Novgorod,” and KIRILL SHIPULIN, a/k/a “Kirill Russia,” were charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit computer intrusions.  The Indictment charges that Derebenetc and Shipulin hacked the electronic taxi dispatch system at John F. Kennedy International Airport. 

Taxi drivers are required to wait in a holding lot at JFK before they are dispatched to pick up a fare.  A computer system ensures that taxis are dispatched in the order in which they arrived.  Derebenetc and Shipulin allegedly conspired with Daniel Abayev and Peter Leyman to hack the Dispatch System and move certain taxis to the front of the line in exchange for payment.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged in the indictment, these four defendants conspired to hack into the taxi dispatch system at JFK airport.  Cyber hacking can pose grave threats to infrastructure systems that we rely on every day, and our Office is dedicated to pursuing criminal hackers, whether they be in Russia or here in New York.”

The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Mead and Steven J. Kochevar are in charge of the prosecution.