India, Nov. 16 -- The U.S. Justice Department has obtained five guilty pleas and moved to seize over USD 15 million linked to North Korea's covert IT-worker schemes and crypto thefts, accusing Pyongyang of using the funds to support its weapons program in violation of global sanctions.

According to court filings, facilitators in the United States and Ukraine helped North Korean operatives obtain remote IT jobs with U.S. companies by providing stolen or falsified identities and hosting company-issued laptops to make it appear the workers were based inside the country.

The scheme affected more than 136 U.S. companies, generated over USD 2.2 million for the DPRK, and compromised the identities of at least 18 Americans.

Senior Justice Depa...