Cybersecurity
Russian Spammer Claiming Kremlin Ties Is in U.S. Facing Feds
- Spain turned over Peter Levashov to U.S., in rebuff to Russia
- Levashov accused of hijacking computers with Kelihos botnet
Photographer: Ammna Mir/EyeEm via Getty Images
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A Russian programmer who claimed he worked for Vladimir Putin’s ruling party arrived in the U.S. Friday after Spanish authorities extradited him to face cybercrime charges in Connecticut.
Peter Levashov is scheduled to appear in court Friday. Prosecutors have been pursuing Levashov, who they say operated under names including Peter Severa, for at least a decade. He’s among the top 10 worst spammers in the world, according to The Spamhaus Project, which tracks spam-related cyber threats.