Prison for computer blackmail

By Vladimir Golubev
Date: July 17, 2003

The inhabitant of Alma-Ata (Kazakhstan) Oleg Zezev (citizen of Russian Federation) is sentenced to four years and three months of imprisonment. He was condemned in Manhattan for hacking Bloomberg Financial News network and attempt to blackmail the of New York mayor Michael Blumberg.

Zezev has been arrested in August, 2000 and, according to lawyer Robert Baum, he will become free in 7 months.

The court has appointed the sum of compensation about $955 thousand. Meanwhile, official salary of Zezev is about $500 a month. So, he will need 159 years to pay off the compensation.

Computer Crime Research Center

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