Russian hacker gets 27 years
Judge hands down longest sentence ever in US for cyber crime case
SEATTLE: A federal judge handed down the longest sentence ever imposed in the US for a cyber crime case to the son of a member of the Russian Parliament convicted of hacking into more than 500 US businesses and stealing millions of credit card numbers, which he then sold on special websites.
Roman Seleznev was sentenced on Friday to 27 years in prison and ordered to pay nearly US$170mil (RM747mil) in restitution to the businesses and banks that were the victims of his multi-year scheme.
Prior to his sentencing, Seleznev asked US District Judge Richard Jones for leniency. He apologised to his victims and said he was remorseful for his crimes, but he urged the judge to consider his medical problems, the result of being caught in a terrorist bombing in 2011, in deciding his prison term.
“I plead, pray and beg your honour for mercy,” he said.
But Jones told Seleznev that the bombing in Morroco “was an invitation to right your wrongs and recognise you were given a second chance in life”.
But instead, Jones said Seleznev “amassed a fortune” at the expense of hundreds of small businesses.
“You were driven by one goal: greed,” Jones said.
After sentencing, Seleznev’s lawyer Igor Litvak read a handwritten statement from his client that said the long sentence was a political prosecution at a time of strained US-Russian relations.
“This decision made by the United States government clearly demon- strates to the entire world that I’m a political prisoner,” Seleznev wrote.
“I was kidnapped by the US. Now they want to send a message to the world using me as a pawn. This message ... is not the right way to show Vladimir Putin of Russia, or any government in this world how justice works in a democracy.”
He said he’s a citizen of the Russian Federation and he said he wanted to send a message to that government: “Please help me. I beg you.”
Seleznev was first indicted in 2011 on 29 felony charges and captured in 2014.