Cybercrime Government News People Recorded Future US national charged in Finnish psychotherapy center extortion

According to The Record, Finnish prosecutors have charged a second individual, U.S. national Daniel Lee Newhard, with attempted extortion of the Vastaamo psychotherapy centre. The Finnish Prosecution Service announced on Monday that it had charged Newhard with aiding and abetting attempted aggravated extortion; officials noted the suspect, a 28-year-old, denies the offence and it was not clear whether he is in custody.

The move follows Aleksanteri Kivimäki, the Finnish cybercriminal convicted of more than 20,000 counts of attempted extortion over the Vastaamo incident, who was released from custody last week while he appeals his case. While Kivimäki is the primary suspect, the National Bureau of Investigation had earlier said it was probing a resident of Estonia who was believed to have been involved in the extortion targeting the psychotherapy centre and the dissemination of its client information online. Read more at The Record.