A Syrian national extradited to the U.S. made an initial court appearance Tuesday on charges he helped hack and extort American targets perceived to be enemies of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
(FOX)- Peter Romar, 36, was extradited from Germany, where he had been living in Waltershausen. A magistrate ordered him held pending a detention hearing Thursday.
He is accused of violating Syrian sanctions, conspiring to hack computers and extort money, and other charges.
Prosecutors say he joined other hackers from the pro-Assad Syrian Electronic Army who harassed and sought to extort victims including Harvard University and Human Rights Watch.
A public defender who had just been appointed to represent Romar after Tuesday’s hearing declined comment.
Romar, dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, said little during Tuesday’s hearing. But he asked through an Arabic interpreter to be allowed to call his wife in Germany, whom he said was in a German hospital dying of cancer. A magistrate responded that he was unsure of the ability to place international calls from jail but suggested he speak to his attorney to see what could be facilitated.
Two other members of the Syrian Electronic Army — Firas Dardar and Ahmad Umar Agha, who used the names “the Shadow” and “the Pro,” respectively — also face federal charges and remain at large.