RENO (AP) — A Russian man has pleaded guilty to offering a Tesla employee $1 million to cripple the electric car company's plant in Nevada with ransomware in an extortion scheme.
Cybersecurity experts on Friday called the case exceptional because of the risks Egor Kriuchkov took trying face-to-face bribery instead of an internet hack from afar.
Kriuchkov pleaded guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court in Reno.
His attorneys declined Friday to comment.
Kriuchkov said in September he knew the Russian government was aware of his case, but prosecutors didn't allege ties to the Kremlin.
The FBI said the plot was stopped in August before any damage happened.
