Hacker convicted in extortion scheme against Bloomberg

[InfoSec News <isn () c4i org>]

http://www.nandotimes.com/technology/story/782449p-5609308c.html

The Associated Press
 
NEW YORK (February 26, 2003 6:32 p.m. EST) - A jury Wednesday
convicted a Kazakhstan man of trying to extort $200,000 from Mayor
Michael Bloomberg by threatening to reveal secrets stolen from
Bloomberg's financial information company.

Bloomberg was the star witness against computer hacker Oleg Zezov, 29.

Zezov, who yelled obscenities at prosecutors and made other outbursts
during his trial, drooped his head as the verdict was read. The
computer specialist could get 20 years in prison at sentencing May 23.

The extortion scheme took place before Bloomberg was elected mayor.

Prosecutors said Zezov sent Bloomberg e-mails claiming he had full
access to his company's computer system. Bloomberg met Zezov in London
in 2000 in a sting set up by law enforcement authorities. Zezov was
arrested at the meeting.

Robert Baum, Zezov's lawyer, argued that his client was merely trying
to be paid for alerting Bloomberg to a security flaw in the computer
system.

Baum said he will appeal on the grounds that the jury was prejudiced
by Zezov's outbursts.

Bloomberg, estimated to be worth $4 billion, resigned as chief
executive of Bloomberg LP after he was elected mayor in 2001.



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