EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

The man who hacked into HBO this past summer and extorted the company to pay him $6 million in bitcoin to avoid leaking unaired episodes and plot summaries of Game of Thrones has been indicted.

The U.S. Justice Department has charged Behzad Mesri, an Iranian hacker, with “computer fraud, wire fraud, identity theft, and the rarer charge of using a computer for extortion,” reports Andy Greenberg in Wired. In addition to Game of Thrones, Mesri’s cyberattack pilfered unaired episodes of other shows, including Curb Your Enthusiasm, and sensitive information such as cast and crew contact lists that included actors’ personal phone numbers.

As Greenberg points out in his article, the United States, does not have an extradition treaty with Iran. As a result, it is unlikely that Mesri will face arrest. However, it does put a spotlight on him. “He will never be able to travel outside of Iran without fear of being arrested and brought here,” said Acting US Attorney Joon Kim at a press conference.

Read the full story at Wired.