Tuesday, November 10, 2015

SHALOM, NOW BENT OVER: Three Israeli Jews indicted in U.S. over big JPMorgan hacking


Three Israeli Jews indicted in U.S. over big JPMorgan hacking









Ziv Orenstein (C), who is accused by U.S. authorities of engaging in a stock manipulation scheme involving U.S. penny stocks, arrives at a courtroom at the Jerusalem Magistrates Court July 22, 2015. REUTERS/Amir Cohen

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors on Tuesday unveiled expanded criminal charges against three men in connection with a massive 2014 cyberattack against JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) and the hacking of several other major financial companies and financial news publishers.


Gery Shalon, Joshua Samuel Aaron and Ziv Orenstein were charged in a 23-count indictment over crimes including computer hacking, securities fraud, wire fraud, identity theft, illegal Internet gambling and conspiring to commit money laundering.

Victims of the scheme included financial services companies in New York; Boston; Omaha, Nebraska; St. Louis; Charlotte, North Carolina and elsewhere, the indictment said.

Shalon and Orenstein are Israeli nationals who were arrested in July. Aaron is a U.S. citizen who has lived in Moscow and Tel Aviv, authorities have said.

The hacking of JPMorgan's computers compromised information in 83 million household and small business accounts, making it one of the largest such breaches in history.

JPMorgan on Tuesday confirmed that the indictment relates to that attack. It also said it appreciates its "strong partnership" with law enforcement, and is cooperating with its efforts to fight cybercrime.

A separate indictment alleged various fraud and conspiracy charges against Anthony Murgio, a Florida man previously accused of operating an unlicensed bitcoin exchange service, and who was also linked to the JPMorgan breach.

Lawyers for the defendants were not immediately available for comment.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission had previously filed civil charges against Shalon, Aaron and Orenstein.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel and Nate Raymond in New York; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Meredith Mazzilli)