US judge sets long sentences for two Russian hackers

A US judge sentenced a pair of Russians who led a massive hacking and data breach scheme to lengthy criminal sentences, the US Department of Justice announced Thursday.

Vladimir Drinkman, 37, was sentenced to 12 years in prison, while Dmitriy Smilianets, was sentenced to over four years by US District Judge Jerome Simandle in New Jersey.

The Russian nationals, who had previously pled guilty, are part of a gang that targeted major retailers and the Nasdaq stock exchange. They stole some 160 million credit card numbers and then sold them through online markets, officials said.