OAKLAND, Calif., Oct. 25 (UPI) — Yevgeniy Aleksandrovich Nikulin, a 29-year-old Russian, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in California on allegations he hacked the LinkedIn, Dropbox and Formspring companies.
Nikulin was arrested in Prague, Czech Republic, on Oct. 5 with the help of the FBI and was indicted on Friday, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a statement. Though he was indicted by a grand jury in California, Nikulin remains in custody in Prague.
LinkedIn, Dropbox and Formspring are all headquartered in the San Francisco Bay area. Nikulin is accused of accessing and gathering information from computers belonging to the companies without authorization.
“The defendant also caused damage to computers belonging to a LinkedIn employee and to Formspring by transmitting a program, information, code, or command,” the Justice Department added.
“Nikulin also is alleged to have used the credentials of LinkedIn and Formspring employees in connection with the computer intrusions. Further, Nikulin is alleged to have engaged in a conspiracy with unnamed co-conspirators to traffic stolen Formspring user credentials.”
Nikulin has been charged with three counts of computer intrusion; two counts of intentional transmission of information, code, or command causing damage to a protected computer; two counts of aggravated identity theft; one count of trafficking in unauthorized access devices; and one count of conspiracy, the Justice Department added.
Nikulin was arrested following the exchange of information between Czech police and the FBI, officials said, adding that he was arrested while traveling with a womanand that the arrest surprised him.
