Oleg Zezov e-mailed the threat to Michael Bloomberg before he became Mayor. Michael Bloomberg informed the FBI and, working with the FBI, agreed to meet with Zezov and another alleged extortionist in London to resolve the matter.
The meeting was held on 10th August 2000. Shortly after the meeting, Zezov and his co-accused, Igor Yarimaka, also of Kazakhstan, were arrested by London police and extradited to the US to face trial following a ruling by the English High Court in a case which considered the UK's anti-hacking legislation and how it applied to the technique known as spoofing.
Zezov's defence, that he was an entrepreneur trying to be paid for alerting Bloomberg to a security flaw in the computer system - i.e. an ethical hacker, was rejected by the New York jury.
The verdict followed a trial during which Zezov yelled obscenities at prosecutors and once attempted to escape by jumping onto the backs of courtroom benches and running for the exit, only to be stopped by US marshals and an FBI agent.
He was found guilty under each of four charges: conspiracy, attempted extortion, sending threatening electronic messages and computer intrusion.
Zezov faced a possible maximum sentence of 20 years, but even the four year sentence handed down by US District Judge Kimba Wood is one of the longest terms ever given for computer intrusion, according to prosecutors.