A Russian man detained in Spain at the request of U.S. law enforcement officials on suspicion of cyber fraud will soon be extradited to the U.S., Interfax news agency reported Friday, citing a Russian consular official in Madrid.
Vadim Polyakov was arrested in July 2014. He is accused by U.S. authorities of hacking into the ticket sales website StubHub.com and using users' credit card data to buy tickets. Together with his accomplices, Polyakov then resold the tickets, making a profit of at least $10 million, Interfax reported.
"Despite the efforts of the embassy and his [Polyakov's] lawyer, the Council of Ministers of Spain decided he should be extradited. It is expected to take place in the next few days," Konstantin Dorokhin, head of the consular department of the Russian embassy in Madrid, was quoted by Interfax as saying.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
