Report: British Police Used Oxygen Forensics Phone-Breaking Tool as US Alleges Firm Hid Russian Ownership
Public documents show British police used Oxygen Forensics software to break into suspects' phones in live investigations, while US prosecutors allege the Virginia-based company concealed Russian ownership to avoid sanctions.
The same company is at the center of a US criminal case. Its American chief executive, identified in the report as Mr Reiber, and a Russian national, Mr Davydov, were arrested last week after a US investigation found the company had sought to hide its ownership in an alleged attempt to avoid sanctions and scrutiny, The Telegraph reported.
By September 2024, the US Secret Service had awarded Oxygen a five-year contract for its software, according to the report.
In December 2022 and again in October 2023, Oxygen's chief executive told the US government that Oxygen Forensics had "no immediate or highest-level owner," the report said. In March, Mr Reiber allegedly told the US government that there had been no Russians involved in developing the software and that no one in Russia had access to the environment in which it was built. US prosecutors say that statement was false.
If convicted, both Mr Reiber and Mr Davydov could face a sentence of 20 years in prison.
The Telegraph account, which was circulated by the technology site Slashdot, is based on public documents and the US investigation. It does not state whether the British forces that used the software were aware of the ownership allegations, nor which investigations the tool was used in.