The Ancaster, Ont. man who pleaded guilty to a massive Yahoo hack this week did so for closure, his lawyer says.
“In the end he made the decision himself. He was the one that said himself, ‘I'm ready to plead guilty,’ Amedeo Dicarlo, Karim Baratov’s Canadian lawyer, told CTV News Toronto Wednesday.
“He feels he’s done the right thing which is important to us. As long he’s happy, we’re happy.”
Baratov pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of conspiracy to commit computer fraud and eight counts of aggravated identity theft in connection with the hacking of 500 million Yahoo accounts.
U.S. authorities say he was acting under the direction of Russian intelligence agents. The hacks had targeted Russian journalists and government officials and the information gathered by Baratov was used to spy on those individuals
Baratov was arrested in Ancaster in March by the RCMP on behalf of the U.S. government under the Extradition Act. Last summer he chose to have an extradited hearing in order to face his charges in the United States.
Baratov could face up to a maximum of 26 years in prison but his guilty plea will help ensure him a lighter sentence, said Dicarlo. He will likely face between seven to nine years when he is sentenced on Feb. 20.
His parents had maintained the belief that their son was innocent. On Wednesday, they declined to speak to CTV News Toronto.
“They want their son home, they want their son to have a normal life again,” DiCarlo said.
He added that for Baratov entering this guilty plea will be closure for him.
“It’s allowing him to see an end and I think that’s important to him. I wouldn’t say he’s happy and excited but he feels better off, DiCarlo said.
