An Israeli citizen accused of hacking environmentalists who support climate lawsuits will appear in U.S. court next week after the Trump administration — which has sought to block such litigation — won his extradition from the U.K.
Amit Forlit, whom U.S. prosecutors have targeted as part of an investigation into a worldwide hacking ring that operated from 2012 to 2019, arrived in the U.S. last week after losing an extradition appeal last month.
A federal grand jury in New York in November 2022 returned an indictment charging Forlit with conspiracy to commit computer hacking, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. The charges carry maximum prison sentences of five to 20 years.
Forlit pleaded not guilty on Friday and was released on a $1 million bond. A pretrial conference is scheduled for April 16 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
