Most of these lines of reasoning assume the people involved have the same amount of agency as any other developer/engineer, and I'm sure they're right in many cases-- plenty of talented American software developers have worked at companies making scummy malware even having other options. But I'll bet that a big chunk of it is difficulty getting legitimate work if you've already been convicted of a felony.
I'm not making excuses; there are plenty of ways that someone with these skills could make money legally with a felony conviction, like online freelance work. But, life choices so often come down to the path of least resistance, and if you add in a language fluency barrier, intermittent or slow internet access, or some other resistance, I'll bet it's a lot easier to say "Screw it. I've already got a record-- what do I have to lose?"
I'm not making excuses; there are plenty of ways that someone with these skills could make money legally with a felony conviction, like online freelance work. But, life choices so often come down to the path of least resistance, and if you add in a language fluency barrier, intermittent or slow internet access, or some other resistance, I'll bet it's a lot easier to say "Screw it. I've already got a record-- what do I have to lose?"