Supreme Court Clears Way for US Extradition of Two Alleged Ghost Click Accomplices
The highest court decided today not to admit complaints filed by Timur Gerassimenko and Konstantin Poltev, two men who are wanted by the US for their alleged involvement in a huge malware scheme that infected thousands of computers worldwide, including computers of American government agencies.
The two had challenged the Estonian government's extradition order from November 2013, in turn based on an extradition request from the US.
In 2012, a piece of malware called DNSChanger affected computers worldwide, directing browsers to sites that were monetized by the perpetrators. The scheme netted 20 million euros and was allegedly run by Vladimir Tšaštšin, and his associates and family members from Tartu.
Tšaštšin is also behind bars in Tallinn, also awaiting extradition.
All in the case, including Gerassimenko and Poltev, were acquitted of financial crimes in December by Harju County Court, but they were not released because of the ongoing extradition proceedings, deemed admissible by the same county court.
The acquittal was appealed by prosecutors and a verdict is due in the District Court on June 26.