US nationals behind DPRK IT worker 'laptop farm' sent to prison

Two U.S. nationals, Kejia Wang and Zhenxing Wang, have been sentenced to prison for operating a 'laptop farm' scheme that helped North Korean IT workers pose as U.S. residents and gain employment at over 100 American companies, including Fortune 500 firms. Between 2021 and 2024, the scheme generated over $5 million for the DPRK government and caused $3 million in damages to victimized companies. The defendants created fake shell companies, financial accounts, and hosted company-issued laptops in U.S. homes to disguise the workers' true locations. Kejia Wang received 108 months and Zhenxing Wang 92 months in prison. Nine other defendants in the same scheme remain at large, with the U.S. State Department offering up to $5 million for information leading to their capture.