‘Guccifer’ Sentenced To Four Years In A Romanian Jail

Romanian authorities have sentenced Marcel Lazăr Lehel, better known as ‘Guccifer’, to four years in jail for stealing data, defacing websites and hijacking hundreds of online accounts belonging to celebrities and politicians.

Among other things, Guccifer allegedly attacked several members of the family of the former US president George W. Bush, stole the script for the fourth-season finale of ‘Downton Abbey’ and personally taunted the head of the Romanian secret service.

Considering his previous suspended sentence, Lehel might need to serve as many as seven years, but an appeal is still possible.

The face of Guccifer

42-year old father of two, Lehel worked as a cab driver by day. But at night he became ‘Guciffer’, a talented hacker who carried out highly imaginative cyber attacks against public figures, that often bordered on practical jokes.

In 2013, Guccifer hacked the emails of the Bush family and posted some of the former president’s artwork online, including a self-portrait in a shower. His other alleged victims include the comedian Steve Martin, ‘Sex and the City’ author Candace Bushnell, at least three members of the House of Lords and broadcaster Jeremy Paxman.

The results of Guccifer’s exploits were regularly published by the US website The Smoking Gun, with which he maintained a relationship for several years.

The hacker was able to attack so many high-profile targets because he mapped the connections between the rich and the famous: every new account gave him access to contact details of journalists, actors and politicians, who then became new targets, and offered yet more contact details.

According to The Smoking Gun, sometimes Guccifer would simply pick the passwords, using the information he researched online.

However, at no point did the hacker try to steal money – he was mostly concerned with the entertainment value of the attacks.

Reuters reports that Lehel was arrested in Bucharest in January, and will now have to spend the next four years in jail. His previous conviction could add to the term, and he will also have to pay 11,000 lei ($3,400) in legal fees.

The sentence can still be appealed. At the moment, no requests have been filed for Lehel’s extradition to the US, where most of his victims were based.

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