Canadian charged in Yahoo hacking case to plead guilty in U.S., court records say

A Canadian accused by the United Statesof helping Russian intelligence agents break into email accountsas part of a massive 2014 breach of Yahoo accounts is expectedto plead guilty next week, according to court records.

Karim Baratov, who earlier this year waived his right tofight a U.S. request for his extradition from Canada, is
scheduled to appear in federal court in San Francisco on Tuesdayfor the plea hearing, according to a court calendar seen onFriday.

Baratov, a 22-year-old Canadian citizen born in Kazakhstan,was arrested in Canada in March at the request of U.S. prosecutors. He later waived his right to fight a request forhis extradition to the United States.

• Karim Baratov, alleged Yahoo hacker, pleads not guilty in U.S. court
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• Karim Baratov, alleged Yahoo hacker, will bypass extradition hearing and go to U.S. to fight charges

Andrew Mancilla, Baratov's lawyer, declined to comment. Aspokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in San Francisco didnot respond to a request for comment.

The U.S. Justice Department announced charges in Marchagainst Baratov and three other men, including two officers inRussia's Federal Security Service (FSB), for their roles in the2014 theft of 500 million Yahoo accounts.

Verizon Communications Inc, the largest U.S. wirelessoperator, acquired most of Yahoo Inc's assets in June.

Prosecutors said that the FSB officers, Dmitry Dokuchaev andIgor Sushchin, directed and paid hackers to obtain informationand used Alexsey Belan, who is among the U.S. Federal Bureau ofInvestigation's most-wanted cyber criminals, to breach Yahoo.

When the FSB officers learned that a target had a non-Yahoowebmail account, including through information obtained from theYahoo hack, they worked with Baratov, who was who paid to breakinto at least 80 email accounts, prosecutors said.

The individuals associated with the accounts they sought toaccess included Russian officials, the chief executive of ametals company and a prominent banker, according to theindictment.

At least 50 of the accounts Baratov targeted were hosted byGoogle, the indictment said.

Tuesday's proceedings before U.S. District Judge VinceChhabria are scheduled as a "change of plea" hearing.

Baratov, the only person arrested to date in the case,previously in August pleaded not guilty to conspiring to commitcomputer fraud, conspiring to commit access device fraud,conspiring to commit wire fraud and aggravated identitytheft.