International law enforcement agencies frequently collaborate to track down cybercriminals, but one recent case has drawn particular attention.
A high school student from Bucharest is now at the center of an international investigation after a U.S. federal judge in New York issued an arrest warrant for him.
The 11th-grade student is accused of sending hundreds of bomb threats to schools and synagogues across the United States and the United Kingdom.
Demanding his extradition to stand trial
These threats caused widespread panic and financial losses as authorities were forced to respond to each alert.
Investigators also suspect that he coerced American teenage girls into producing explicit materials and engaging in self-harm.
U.S. authorities are demanding his extradition to stand trial in the United States, according to Ziare.
If convicted, he faces significant prison time. The FBI’s investigation suggests that the teenager was part of an online criminal network focused on exploiting minors.
In Romania, the student had already come to the attention of local authorities after making bomb threats to hospitals and even the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT).
Despite these incidents, the case was initially closed, and he was only fined. The situation took a more serious turn when the U.S. Department of Justice formally requested his extradition.
While awaiting a final decision on the extradition request, Romanian judges have placed the teenager under house arrest.
He had previously spent several days in police custody before the court ruled on his temporary confinement.
This case raises significant legal and diplomatic questions, particularly regarding Romania’s willingness to extradite a minor.
