Oxygen Forensics accused of hiding Russian ownership to secure government contracts

Oxygen Forensics, a digital forensics software company, has been accused by US authorities of concealing its Russian ownership to secure government contracts. US prosecutors allege the company, which claimed to be a US-based entity, was actually controlled by Russian citizens through a shell company in Cyprus.

As a result of these allegations, the company’s CEO, Lee Reiber, and a Russian national, Oleg Sergeyevich Davydov, have been arrested. Prosecutors claim Reiber misled the US government regarding the company’s ownership and the location of its software development teams. While no malicious code has been formally charged, investigators state the software was developed and managed by teams in Russia, some of whom reportedly have links to the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB).

Multiple law enforcement agencies have utilized the software. In Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Department of National Defence, and the Vancouver Police Department have held licenses or purchased services from the company. In the United States, the Secret Service awarded Oxygen a five-year contract in September 2024. In Europe, the London Metropolitan Police and other agencies have suspended use of the software following the exposure of these allegations.