MOSCOW, July 31 (RIA Novosti) – The District Court in Guam has denied a motion to release Russian citizen Roman Seleznev, who was charged with cyber-fraud by US authorities, The Pacific Daily News reported Thursday.
Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood ruled on the motion on Thursday, according to the news website.
Seleznev’s defense asked for his release, saying that the Russian citizen was illegally detained outside US jurisdiction.
The prosecution disagreed, saying Seleznev was arrested in Guam, but did not explain how he got there from the Maldives.
On July 5, Roman Seleznev was detained on cyber-fraud charges at an airport in the Maldives and flown to the US island of Guam.
The Russian stands accused of hacking into point-of-sale systems at a number of US shops to steal credit card data from its customers. Seleznev denied the charges.
Seleznev faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted of bank fraud, while his other charges also carry significant sentences.
The Russian Foreign Ministry called the incident an unfriendly move by the United States and a de facto kidnapping, while the government of the Maldives promised to review the legal framework surrounding Seleznev’s arrest.