George W. Bush stands next to a Frenchified cardboard version of himself. (credit: The Smoking Gun)
A year and a half after he was indicted, a Romanian man who broke into the e-mail of a family member of two former presidents is set to be extradited to the United States.
Romania’s top court approved the temporary extradition of Marcel Lehel Lazăr, also known as “Guccifer” and “Micul Fum,” according to a report by IDG News. Lazăr allegedly broke into the e-mail account of an unnamed family member of both former president George H. W. Bush as well as George W. Bush, intercepting images including family photos and self-portraits painted by George W. Bush. The hack exposed other deeply personal information about the family, including family e-mails planning a possible funeral for the older former president, written when he was hospitalized in late 2013.
The Romanian suspect, a former cab driver, will face charges of wire fraud, unauthorized access to a protected computer, aggravated identity theft, cyberstalking, and obstruction of justice. He has been charged in the Eastern District of Virginia. The Romanian court decision allows him to be extradited for up to 18 months to face the charges.