Ex-League of Legends team owner charged with running global hacking network

Dmitry 'ddd1ms' Smilianets, former owner of Counter-Strike, Dota 2 and League of Legends pro team Moscow 5 has been charged in connection with a hacking network said to have made off with some 160 million bank card numbers and hundreds of millions in stolen dollars.

Gamespot reports that Smilianets was arrested last July by the FBI’s cyber-crime unit. He was suspected of running a hacking ring along with five other Russian and Ukrainian members, and orchestrated plans to seize corporate data, funds and bank details across the 'net.

US Attorney Paul Fishman has since called the case the “largest hacking and data breach scheme ever prosecuted in the United States," following Smilianet's arrest while in the US. He has remained in custody since he was first hauled in, and he will appear in federal court once the trial begins next week.

His attorney Bruce Provda has cautioned that the trial will be a lengthy one, and added that Smilianet faces "a rather complex international charge of hacking”.

A statement on the Moscow 5 site followed his arrest last July, which read:

“Dima was indeed travelling to Amsterdam for leisure purposes and he was indeed arrested,” it read. “Even though it took place a couple of days ago, motives of Dutch police are still unknown.”

“Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation does not possess any kind of information about the arrest, since Dutch police refuses to provide it. In order to handle this unfortunate situation his father has departed to Amsterdam. Hopefully, he will be able to do so. Despite these unpleasant circumstances, our Dota 2 and LoL squads are going to continue with their preparations to upcoming tournaments.”

The Moscow 5 teams were disbanded after the arrest.

What do you make of the above? Speaking freely here, it's actually pretty nuts, isn't it?

Thanks PCGamesN.