Support The Moscow Times!

Son of Russia Duma Deputy Found Guilty of U.S. Cyber Fraud

The son of a Russian Duma deputy has been found guilty of cyber fraud by a U.S. court in Seattle, Washington, international news outlets reported Thursday.

A jury found Roman Seleznyov guilty of causing damage worth $170 million by stealing and selling details from 1.7 million credit cards, the RIA Novosti news agency reported.

After a day of deliberation, the jury found Seleznev guilty of 38 criminal counts, including 10 counts of wire fraud, nine counts of obtaining information illegally and two counts of aggravated identity theft.

Seleznyov was arrested by U.S. authorities as he boarded a plane in the Maldivian capital of Malé in July 2014. His father Valery Seleznyov, who represents the center-right LDPR Party, has likened his son's arrest to a “kidnapping” and claimed that Seleznyov had been denied basic rights.

He later told state-backed news agency Russia Today that U.S. authorities may have taken Seleznyov in the hope of trading him for NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.

The Russian Foreign Ministry called the case an “unacceptable violation of the rights of a Russian citizen,” and pledged to aid Seleznyov in his appeal, the TASS news agency reported Friday.

"It is already clear that there's already been an absolutely unacceptable violation to the rights of a Russian citizen in Seleznev case,” the ministry's Human Rights Commissioner Konstantin Dolgov said.

Sentencing is due to take place on Dec. 2. Roman Seleznyov's lawyer plans to appeal the verdict.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

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.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more