Marcel Lehel Lazăr, aka Guccifer, Extradited from Romania, to Face Hacking Charges

Lazăr hacked into the email and social media accounts of high-profile victims, including a family member of two former U.S. presidents, a former U.S. Cabinet member, a former member of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff and a former presidential advisor.

Posted by CotoBlogzz

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA - Marcel Lehel Lazăr, 44, of Arad, Romania, allegedly the hacker “Guccifer,” made his initial appearance today in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia. to face U.S. charges relating to unauthorized access of protected computers, accordingly not to announcement by Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente of the Eastern District of Virginia, Assistant Director in Charge Paul M. Abbate of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Bill A. Miller of the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DSS) and Special Agent in Charge James M. Murray of the U.S. Secret Service’s Washington Field Office.

Lazăr had been temporarily surrendered from Romania 

In the United States, Lazăr is charged in a nine-count indictment with three counts of wire fraud, three counts of gaining unauthorized access to protected computers, and one count each of aggravated identity theft, cyberstalking and obstruction of justice.  Lazăr's case will be heard before U.S. District Judge James C. Cacheris of the Eastern District of Virginia.

According to the indictment, from December 2012 to January 2014, Lazăr hacked into the email and social media accounts of high-profile victims, including a family member of two former U.S. presidents, a former U.S. Cabinet member, a former member of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff and a former presidential advisor.  After gaining unauthorized access to their accounts, Lazăr publicly released his victims’ private email correspondence, medical and financial information and personal photographs.  The indictment also alleges that in July 2013 and August 2013, Lazar impersonated a victim after compromising the victim’s account.

The FBI’s Washington Field Office, the DSS and the U.S. Secret Service are investigating the case with assistance from the Romanian National Police.

Senior Counsels Ryan K. Dickey and Peter V. Roman of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jay V. Prabhu and Maya D. Song of the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.