'Guccifer' hacker arrested in Romania

[NewWorldRecord]

'Guccifer' hacker arrested in Romania

PUBLISHED : Friday, 24 January, 2014, 1:14am
UPDATED : Friday, 24 January, 2014, 1:14am

Reuters in Bucharestand San Francisco

The suspect escorted by police.

Romanian authorities have arrested a man they suspect of being the hacker "Guccifer", famous for breaking into the e-mail accounts of former US president George W. Bush's family and other prominent figures.

Romania's Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism said it detained a suspect with the initials "LML" near the border with Hungary.

The agency said there was "reasonable suspicion" that the suspect "repeatedly and illegally accessed, breaking security rules, e-mail accounts belonging to public persons in Romania".

A Romanian prosecutor said the suspect is believed to be the hacker known as Guccifer.

Romania's public radio identified the suspect as Marcel Lazar Lehel, who received a suspended sentence for hacking in 2012.

Guccifer shot to fame in February last year after he hacked into Bush family e-mails and posted artwork by George W. Bush, including a self-portrait of the ex-president in the shower.