Cyber · Friday, September 25, 2026
Kosovar national pleads guilty to running the Rydox cybercrime market
The File desk · Sep 25, 2026, 10:18 AM UTC
Status
Confirmed (DOJ OPA, Sept. 24, 2026)
On Sept. 24, 2026, the Justice Department said Ardit Kutleshi, 28, a Kosovar national, pleaded guilty in the Western District of Pennsylvania to aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to launder money. Prosecutors said he created and ran Rydox, a site that sold stolen personal information and cybercrime tools. The department said the site handled more than 7,600 transactions since at least 2016 and took in at least $232,000. Sentencing is set for Feb. 9, 2027.
On Sept. 24, 2026, the Justice Department said Ardit Kutleshi, 28, pleaded guilty in the Western District of Pennsylvania.
The counts are aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to launder money. The department said the charges relate to his creation and operation of Rydox, a website and marketplace for cybercriminals.
Since at least 2016, the department said, Rydox conducted more than 7,600 transactions and received at least $232,000 in revenue. It sold stolen personal information and cybercrime tools.
The department said the domain www.Rydox.cc was seized in December 2024, and that Kutleshi was extradited from Kosovo in 2025.
Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 9, 2027. The department said the identity-theft count carries a mandatory minimum of two years, and the money-laundering conspiracy count carries up to 20 years.
The FBI’s Pittsburgh office investigated, with foreign partners. A guilty plea is not a sentence.
What is still unknown or disputed
- The sentence the court will impose on Feb. 9, 2027; any restitution figure beyond the revenue the department stated.
Primary sources
Every claim in this story is drawn from the documents below. If a fetch failed, that is recorded on the card.
Source 1
Kosovar National Pleads Guilty to Operating Cybercrime Marketplace Offering Tools and Products to Cybercriminals
U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs · September 24, 2026
Ardit Kutleshi, 28, a Kosovar national, pleaded guilty to charges related to his creation and operation of Rydox… since at least 2016, Rydox conducted over 7,600 transactions… receiving at least $232,000 in revenue… pleaded guilty… to aggravated identity theft and money laundering conspiracy… scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 9, 2027.
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/kosovar-national-pleads-guilty-operating-cybercrime-marketplace-offering-tools-and-products