PENNSYLVANIA — A man who helped run an online marketplace for stolen identities and cybercrime tools pleaded guilty in federal court in Pennsylvania, the Justice Department announced Thursday.
Ardit Kutleshi, 28, of Kosovo, pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit money laundering in the Western District of Pennsylvania. Prosecutors said he created and operated Rydox, where customers bought and sold stolen personal information, account credentials and tools used in fraud.
Since at least 2016, the marketplace handled more than 7,600 transactions and brought in at least $232,000, according to court documents. Some of the information sold had been stolen from people in the United States.
Kosovo police arrested Kutleshi in December 2024. He was extradited to the United States in 2025. U.S. authorities also seized the Rydox domain in December 2024, shutting off access to the marketplace through that address.
Kutleshi is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 9, 2027.
Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two-year prison term, while the money laundering conspiracy charge carries a maximum of 20 years. A judge will determine his sentence.
Quick facts
- ☑ Defendant: Ardit Kutleshi, 28, of Kosovo
- ☑ Plea: Aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit money laundering
- ☑ Marketplace: Rydox, a site selling stolen information and cybercrime tools
- ☑ Activity: More than 7,600 transactions since at least 2016
- ☑ Revenue: At least $232,000
- ☑ Arrest and extradition: Arrested in Kosovo in December 2024; extradited to the U.S. in 2025
- ☑ Sentencing date: Feb. 9, 2027