US sentences ‘laptop farmers’ tied to North Korean crypto scheme

US prosecutors said they have secured multiple convictions against individuals accused of helping North Korean IT workers infiltrate American companies through remote employment schemes linked to crypto and technology firms.

The US Department of Justice said separate courts recently sentenced Matthew Issac Knoot and Erick Ntekereze Prince for assisting North Korean operatives posing as remote US-based employees.

Authorities described the individuals as “laptop farmers,” a term used for people who receive company-issued laptops in the United States before configuring remote access systems allowing overseas workers to control the devices while appearing domestically located.

The Justice Department said the pair helped generate approximately $1.2 million for North Korea while affecting nearly 70 US companies.

Prosecutors said the remote worker schemes frequently targeted technical and engineering roles at crypto and blockchain firms to potentially gain access to sensitive infrastructure, digital assets or internal systems.

Knoot and Prince were each sentenced to 18 months in prison, while courts also ordered financial forfeitures and restitution payments tied to earnings generated through the operation.

The convictions add to a growing number of US prosecutions involving North Korean-linked remote employment schemes, including separate laptop farm operators sentenced earlier this year for helping generate millions of dollars for the North Korean government.

Cybersecurity researchers have previously warned that North Korean operatives increasingly use artificial intelligence tools, stolen identities and remote work infrastructure to infiltrate crypto companies and technology businesses globally.