JAKARTA - A Romanian man accused of helping spread a computer virus that infected more than 1 million computers and caused huge financial losses worldwide was extradited to the United States on Tuesday, July 19.

Mihai Paunescu, 37, is accused of running a hosting service that helped distribute the Gozi virus, which was able to steal personal bank account information but remain undetected. He made his initial appearance on Monday, July 18 in federal court in Manhattan, where he is being held.

Prosecutors say the virus is one of the most financially damaging in history, causing tens of millions of dollars in losses for victims.

The virus was first discovered in 2007 and has infected at least 40,000 computers in the United States, including more than 160 belonging to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Paunescu was extradited from Colombia following his arrest last year, and has been charged with conspiring to commit computer intrusion and conspiring to commit bank and wire fraud. Paunescu was previously arrested in Romania in 2012 and released on bail.

US prosecutors announced charges the following year against Paunescu and Nikita Kuzmin, the creator of the Russian virus, who secretly pleaded guilty in 2011 as part of a cooperation agreement.


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