‘Guccifer’ Pleads Guilty To Hacking US Politicians

A Romanian hacker has pleaded guilty in a US court to hacking and identity theft of around 100 high-profile American citizens, announced the US Department of Justice (DoJ). Marcel Lehel Lazar, 44, of Arad, who goes by the name Guccifer, was recently extradited from Romania to the US after being arrested in his country for cyber fraud.

Guccifer is charged with breaching emails and social media accounts of his victims from October 2012 to January 2014, and releasing personal information, medical and financial records, and photographs to the public. His victims include a family member of two former US presidents, a past member of the US Cabinet and one of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff plus a former presidential advisor, said the DoJ.

“The FBI will continue to relentlessly hunt down criminals in cyberspace and around the world,” said assistant director in charge Paul M Abbate of the FBI.

Guccifer’s sentencing is set for September 1, 2016.

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