The U.S. Department of Justice announced the sentencings of two U.S. nationals, Matthew Isaac Knoot and Erick Ntekereze Prince, for facilitating Democratic People’s Republic of Korea remote information technology workers by receiving company laptops at their residences and installing remote desktop software so overseas workers appeared to be operating from the United States. Knoot and Prince each received 18 months in prison. The Department said their separate schemes generated more than USD 1.2 million for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and affected nearly 70 U.S. companies. In the Southern District of Florida case, Prince was sentenced to 18 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and forfeiture of USD 89,000. Court documents say he enabled at least three Democratic People’s Republic of Korea workers to obtain remote jobs at U.S. companies between June 2020 and August 2024, including through his company Taggcar Inc., while knowing the workers were overseas and using false or stolen identities. That case involved more than 64 victim companies, more than USD 943,069 in salary payments, and more than USD 1 million in company remediation costs. In the Middle District of Tennessee case, Knoot was sentenced to 18 months in prison, one year of supervised release, restitution of USD 15,100, and forfeiture of USD 15,100. He ran a laptop farm from Nashville residences between July 2022 and August 2023, supporting work at at least four U.S. companies that paid more than USD 250,000 and later incurred more than USD 500,000 in auditing and remediation costs. The Department also said the scheme involved false reporting to the Internal Revenue Service and Social Security Administration under a stolen identity, and that Knoot later made false statements and destroyed evidence. The announcement forms part of the Department’s joint National Security Division and Federal Bureau of Investigation DPRK RevGen Domestic Enabler Initiative targeting Democratic People’s Republic of Korea revenue-generation schemes and U.S.-based facilitators. In the Florida case, one U.S. co-defendant is awaiting trial, one Mexican co-defendant is in custody in the Netherlands awaiting extradition, and two North Korean co-defendants remain fugitives.
U.S. Department of Justice 2026-05-06
U.S. Department of Justice secures two 18 month prison sentences in North Korea laptop farm cases that generated over USD 1.2 million
The U.S. Department of Justice sentenced U.S. nationals Matthew Isaac Knoot and Erick Ntekereze Prince to 18 months in prison each for facilitating Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) remote IT workers in schemes that generated more than USD 1.2 million for the DPRK and affected nearly 70 U.S. companies. The cases, which involved false or stolen identities, laptop farms, and false reporting to the IRS and Social Security Administration, also resulted in significant remediation costs for victim firms. The actions are part of the Department’s National Security Division and FBI DPRK RevGen Domestic Enabler Initiative targeting DPRK revenue-generation schemes and U.S.-based facilitators.