Deferred US Court Verdict to June Could Help Accused Russian Vladimir Drinkman

The delay in issuing a verdict until June 17, 2017 for Russian national Vladimir Drinkman, who pleaded guilty in the biggest data-breach case in US history, may act in the defendant's favor, Drinkman's attorney Florian Miedel told Sputnik.

NEW YORK (Sputnik) — "We are hopeful that the deferred court date will work to our benefit," Miedel said on Tuesday.

Miedel confirmed that the US court hearing, originally scheduled for December 14, has been postponed to June 2017, but declined to discuss the reasons for the delay.

On September 15, 2015, Vladimir Drinkman pleaded guilty for conspiring to steal 160 million credit card numbers in the US federal court in Camden, New Jersey.

According to Bloomberg, Drinkman used computer malware to steal passwords and credit card numbers from at least 15 companies between 2005 and 2012. He was aided by three accomplices who remain at large.

US District Judge Jerome Simandle will lead the hearing next June, a spokesperson for the US federal court in Camden told Sputnik.

Prosecutors claimed earlier that Drinkman faces up to 30 years in prison and up to $1 million dollar in fines, and will be deported to Russia after serving the sentence.