BANKING & FINANCE - Sept. 21, 1995

British Court Backs U.S. Demand for Russian Hacker: A court in London has upheld a U.S. request to have a young Russian computer expert extradited on charges of illegally transferring millions of dollars out of Citibank accounts. The court rejected attempts by Vladimir Levin, 28, to overturn the extradition request on grounds that there was insufficient evidence. U.S. authorities want to put Levin on trial for theft, computer misuse, forgery and false accounting. The final decision on extradition now goes to Home Secretary Michael Howard. But Levin’s lawyer said the Russian, who was arrested at Heathrow Airport on March 3, would appeal to the High Court. Levin is accused of breaking into the Citibank accounts from St. Petersburg using a laptop computer.