SEATTLE — A Russian man who prosecutors say made millions as a “prolific computer hacker” and “a leader in the marketplace for stolen credit card numbers” was allowed to dismiss his private lawyers on Wednesday and is waiting for a federal judge to decide whether to appoint public defenders.
U.S. District Judge Richard Jones insisted that the change in attorneys will not impact Roman Seleznev’s May 4 trial date.
Meanwhile, federal prosecutors are trying to get access to the financial affidavit Seleznev is submitting to the judge, said Emily Langlie, spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s office in Seattle. They want to make sure “that he appropriately discloses to the court the assets he may access for payment of his legal fees,” she said. Jones has not yet ruled on that request.
“We have not been able to freeze any of his assets” because they’ve been tough to find, she said. The indictment said he used e-currencies and payment services “to make it more difficult to trace the proceeds of transactions and to conceal the identity of the parties.” The indictment also states that he must forfeit all the funds he made while hacking, but that’s only if he’s convicted.
Seleznev is charged with 40 counts that range from wire fraud to hacking to identity theft. His father, Valery Seleznev, is a member of the Russian Parliament. The son was arrested in the Maldives in July during what his lawyers called an “illegal rendition.” He was moved to Guam and then Seattle to face a 2011 indictment.
Prosecutors had objected to his request to change lawyers, arguing that he has already done so several times. Putting new attorneys on such a complex case could stall the trial, prosecutors said. They previously reported that the case has generated about 4 terabytes of data. But Seleznev said the previous attorney changes were not his fault — one firm, for example, was disqualified because of a conflict with other clients.
It’s not known whether a lack of funds or a dispute over a defense strategy or some other problem prompted the dismissal of his attorneys. Their motion to withdraw was sealed and the judge closed the hearing to allow Seleznev to explain his reasons for wanting new lawyers. After the hearing, one lawyer, Anna Goykhman, would only say the decision was mutual. The judge ordered Goykhman and Steven Fogg to stay on the case until new lawyers are appointed.
Seleznev also faces racketeering charges in Nevada related to his alleged collection of data, but he has yet to make a court appearance in that case because of the Seattle charges, Nevada U.S. Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Natalie Collins said.
“Fifty-five persons were charged in four separate indictments in Nevada as part of ‘Operation Open Market,”’ she said. “To date, 30 individuals have been convicted in connection with the Nevada cases. The others are either fugitives or are pending trial.”
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