Russian-owned firm duped the US Secret Service with software developed in Moscow, DOJ charges reveal

From the Newshound archive · first published 26 September 2026.

Lee Reiber, 55, CEO of Virginia digital forensics firm Oxygen Forensics, was arrested in Idaho after allegedly hiding for years that his company was secretly owned by five Russian nationals and that its software was written by a team in Russia. The firm held a five-year contract with the US Secret Service and also supplied Homeland Security and the Department of War with tools used to extract and analyse data from phones and computers. Russian co-defendant Oleg Davydov, 52, was arrested at Heathrow Airport as he prepared to board a flight to Istanbul, and the US is seeking his extradition. Both face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

The Russian owners allegedly concealed their control through a Cyprus holding company, removing their names from public filings weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

The same Russian group also owned a separate firm that reportedly sold identical software to the FSB, Russia's domestic spy agency, and the Russian Interior Ministry.

A former employee had previously raised the alarm publicly, prompting Oxygen Forensics to sue him — before federal prosecutors brought charges confirming his allegations.