"Prosecutors say Amit Forlit ran a global hacking operation on behalf of a Washington lobbying group that aimed to thwart environmental lawsuits against oil companies."

"Amit Forlit, who has been charged by U.S. prosecutors with running a so-called hacking-for-hire operation that targeted environmental groups, has been extradited from Britain to stand trial in New York.

Mr. Forlit, 58, is accused of running a sprawling enterprise that operated around the world, including in Russia, India and Dubai. A 2022 grand jury indictment unsealed on Friday charged Mr. Forlit with conspiracy to commit computer hacking, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud, which could result in up to 45 years in prison.

Prosecutors for the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York confirmed Mr. Forlit’s arrival in New York on Thursday evening in a letter to Judge Jesse M. Furman, writing that he had been arraigned before a magistrate judge.

From at least 2012 to 2019, Mr. Forlit orchestrated “massive” crimes against corporations, organizations and individuals, according to the indictment. He is accused of working closely with Aviram Azari, who was convicted of crimes related to hacking in New York in 2023 and released from federal prison last year, and others. The schemes generated “tens of millions of dollars” in unlawful proceeds, the indictment said."

Karen Zraick reports for the New York Times April 6, 2026. [2]