Romanian Hacker 'Guccifer' Sentenced To 52 Months In US Prison (reuters.com)

Romanian hacker "Guccifer" who targeted high-profile US politicians has been sentenced for 52 months in prison. Guccifer, whose real name is Marcel Lazar, pleaded guilty in May on charges of aggravated identity theft and unauthorized access of a computer. Lazar targeted former Secretary of State Colin Powell and the Bush family and was arrested on hacking charges in Romania in 2014 and was sentenced four years. He was extradited to the U.S. to face charges in March 2016. Reuters adds: Lazar has said in interviews he breached Clinton's private server at her home in Chappaqua, New York, but law enforcement and national security officials say that claim is meritless. Lazar is believed to have hacked into email accounts of about 100 victims between 2012 and 2014. They include prominent political figures such as former Secretary of State Colin Powell, a relative of former President George W. Bush and Sidney Blumenthal, a former Clinton White House aide and an unofficial adviser to Clinton. Clinton is now the Democratic nominee for president. Lazar leaked online memos Blumenthal sent Clinton that were addressed to her private email account, which was used during her time as secretary of state to conduct both personal and work business in lieu of a government account.

Comments

Legal vs Justice System

[BoberFett]

He may be guilty under our legal system, but as many people are starting to understand a legal system and a justice system are not the same thing. If we had a justice system, the Bushes and Clintons would be in prison and Guccifer would be free. People like this should be considered heroes for exposing the criminals that lay claim to positions of leadership. The legal (not justice) system that those criminal leaders have set up are designed to keep themselves wealthy and powerful, and people like Snowden and Guccifer threaten their wealth and power.

Re:Legal vs Justice System

[DRJlaw]

He may be guilty under our legal system, but as many people are starting to understand a legal system and a justice system are not the same thing. If we had a justice system, the Bushes and Clintons would be in prison and Guccifer would be free.

Certainly, because the ends always justify the means. Hack your way in to discover evidence of crimes -- it's ok so long as they deserve to go to prison.

"People like this should be considered heroes for exposing the criminals" says every U.S. TLA when deploying Stingrays, "Network Investigative Techniques," and other exploits against the very not wealthy and very not powerful.

Yet what happens when they don't find evidence of a crime -- are they still guiltless? If some of the roughly 100 people Guccifer raided in his quest to expose were not themselves reasonably suspected of a crime, are they just acceptable collateral damage? When a TLA runs with this principle, are your fellow citizens just acceptable collateral damage?

Sorry, I don't buy it.

Re:Anyone surprised

[sycodon]

Guccifer exposes Hillary's illegal email server and goes to jail for it.

Hilary gets off Scott Free.

BTW, Comey said "Leeeeave Hillary Alllloneeee" because there were more appropriate administrative punishments available.

And? What were they? Were the ever applied?

Lesson here is

[OrangeTide]

Don't mess with powerful people.

Re:Anyone surprised

[Captain Splendid]

Sweet Jesus, but there's a lot of slashdotters think they live in a Dan Brown novel.

Re:Anyone surprised

[Archangel Michael]

Failing to maintain Public Records, and sending and receiving classified information that isn't properly secured (and possibly involved in the murder of a scientist in Iran) actually IS illegal. Her having an email server wasn't the issue. The issue was using that server in an illegal way, which is ... illegal.

Quit trying to make it about the actual email server, rather than WHY she set it up, and how she actually used it. I have an email server, it isn't illegal to have an email server. I use that server as a tool in a commission of a crime ... that server is important evidence. She shredded that evidence, when she was required .. by law .. to maintain that evidence.

And we all know why she did this, she is on record as saying as much, to avoid congressional oversight (which is ALSO against the law).

So, Email server was legal, all the illegal things she did, was caught doing, reasons for doing ... all of that was ... illegal.