A Russian citizen has been sentenced to nearly two years in federal prison for his role in a global conspiracy that involved installing malware on thousands of computers to generate millions in fraudulent payments.

The Justice Department announced Thursday that Maxim Senakh has been sentenced to 46 months in prison for his participation in the scheme, which involved using a malware called Ebury to infect tens of thousands of computers, creating a global network of infected computers — commonly known as a “botnet.”

Senakh pleaded guilty in late March to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and violate the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. The case was investigated by the FBI’s field office in Minneapolis.

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“The defendant and his co-conspirators sought to turn a network of thousands of infected computers in the United States and around the world into their personal cash machines,” acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Blanco, a member of the Justice Department’s criminal division, said in a statement Thursday.

“But cybercriminals like Mr. Senakh should take heed: they are not immune from U.S. prosecution just because they operate from afar or behind a veil of technology,” he said. “We have the ability and the determination to identify them, find them, and bring them to justice.”

Senakh was indicted in January 2015 and later arrested by authorities in Finland. He was extradited to the United States in February of last year to face charges.

Authorities say the criminals used the Ebury botnet to generate and redirect internet traffic in click-fraud and spam email schemes, fraudulently generating millions in revenue. In March, Senakh admitted to creating accounts with domain registrars to help develop the botnet infrastructure and profiting from the scheme.

“As society becomes more reliant on computers, cybercriminals like Senakh pose a serious threat. This office, along with our law enforcement partners, are committed to detecting and prosecuting cybercriminals no matter where they reside,” acting U.S. Attorney Gregory G. Brooker of the District of Minnesota said Thursday.

Senakh, originally from Veliky Novgorod, Russia, will be deported back to Russia following his release from prison.