The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned the Russian company Operation Zero following the guilty plea of an Australian national who admitted to stealing proprietary software for the firm in exchange for millions of dollars in cryptocurrency.
On Tuesday, OFAC designated Sergey Sergeyevich Zelenyuk, his company Operation Zero, and five other people for allegedly using cyber tools to harm national security in the U.S.
According to the Treasury Department, Zelenyuk and his company traded in “exploits” that “take advantage of vulnerabilities in a computer program to allow users to gain unauthorized access, steal information, or take control of an electronic device.” Operation Zero reportedly offered rewards to people who conducted exploits, OFAC said.
The new sanctions stem from a Department of Justice probe last year that found an Australian man, Peter Williams, had stolen software from his U.S. defense contractor employer to funnel secrets to Operation Zero in return for millions of dollars in digital assets. Williams pleaded guilty to two counts of theft of trade secrets.
“If you steal U.S. trade secrets, we will hold you accountable,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “Treasury will continue to work alongside the rest of the Trump Administration to protect sensitive American intellectual property and safeguard our national security.”
Treasury officials said the action marks the first use of authorities under the Protecting American Intellectual Property Act, which was signed into law in 2023.
The law gives the U.S. government tools to find and sanction foreign entities that steal or benefit from stealing trade secrets.
On Tuesday, OFAC also sanctioned others associated with Operation Zero, including Zelenyuk’s assistant Marina Evgenyevna Vasanovich.
© 2026 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.
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