Computer hacker convicted of trying to shake down Bloomberg

Source: Security Focus

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.