Peter Levashov | |
|---|---|
| Петр Юрьевич Левашов | |
 | |
| Born | Peter Yuryevich Levashov 1980 (age 43–44)[1] Russia |
| Nationality | Russian |
| Other names | Petr Levashov, Peter Severa, Petr Severa, Sergey Astakhov[2] |
| Occupation | Spammer |
| Known for | alleged operation of the Kelihos botnet |
| Website | Official website  |
Peter Levashov is a Russian spammer and virus creator. He was described by The Spamhaus Project as one of the longest functioning criminal spam operators on the internet. In July 2021, a US federal judge overruled government recommendations for a 12 to 14.5 year prison sentence, giving a sentence instead of time served, with three years of supervision. Levashov remains in the US, having started a business called SeveraDAO.
- ^ "Russian man wanted by US alleged to be prolific spam master". Financial Post. Associated Press. Jul 28, 2017. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
Born in 1980, Levashov studied at High School No. 30 , one of the first schools in the Soviet Union to specialize in computer programming
- ^ "Russian Hacker Pleads Guilty to Operating Kelihos Botnet". The Hacker News. September 13, 2018. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
Levashov, also known by many online aliases including Peter Severa, Petr Levashov, Petr Severa and Sergey Astakhov, has admitted of operating several botnets, including the Storm, Waledac and Kelihos botnets, since the late 1990s until he was arrested in April 2017.