Roman Seleznev, one of the world’s most prolific cybercriminals, is set to stand trial on May 9th where he could face up to 30 years in prison. The 31 year old Russian is accused of stealing and selling over 2 million credit card numbers on the black market. Seleznev first came to the attention of the Secret Service seven years ago when an electronic trail was traced back to him after a hack on a restaurant in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. He was initially charged with 18 criminal accounts which has since been expanded to 40.
Using a malware he is accused of electronically planting from remote locations overseas, his targets have included the Phoenix Zoo, the Boeing Employees Credit Union of Seattle, City News Stand in Chicago, the Latitude Bar in New York City, and several West Coast restaurants and pizzerias. He is linked to $35 million in losses from American Express, MasterCard, and Visa.
While Seleznev’s trial is set for May 9th, his sixth set of attorneys has filed for a delay, as there is over 10,000 pages of documents, 4.75 terabytes of forensic images as well as other evidence to review. Seattle attorney John Henry Browne, who had previously represented serial killer Ted Bundy and U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Robert Bales, who murdered 16 Afghan civilians, says going to trial next month would be a “miscarriage of justice.” A ruling on the delay has yet to come.
Links to additional articles on Seleznev:
Attorneys Request Delay for Roman Seleznev Case
Roman Seleznev Captured by U.S. Agents
Russian Hacker Extradited Over 8,800 Miles