More than five weeks after a hacker was arrested for the leak of tracks from Madonna's forthcoming album Rebel Heart, several indictments have been passed down against Adi Lederman. A magistrate court in Israel has charged him with four counts of computer trespassing, prohibited secret monitoring, copyright infringement and obstructing investigation (from The Hollywood Reporter).
The computer trespassing charge is simple to explain: Investigations show that Lederman accessed a private computer cloud accounts of three affiliates associated with both Madonna and her longtime manager Guy Oseary (an Israeli native). By hacking that cloud, the perpetrator was able to access the songs he stole via a file named "osearyoffice." Lederman also hacked at least 15 other e-mail accounts while going about the business.
The copyright infringement of course refers to what Lederman did with the music once he got a hold of it. The court paperwork suggest that the hacker sold the files—which ranged from the unfinished Rebel Heart tracks to rehearsal recordings for Madonna's Grammy performance of "Living For Love"—for "tens of dollars" to thousands. The investigators found more than they expected however, including indications that Lederman had stolen tracks from the pop star prior to the release of 2012's MDNA as well.
The obstruction of justice charge stems from Lederman's attempts to contact his buyers and warn them about the oncoming investigation. A court date hasn't been set for the defendant, and the state requested he be detained further...suggesting that his release "might endanger public safety" (this is a music hacker we're talking about here).
Madonna was more than happy with his arrest however, so she'll be glad to see the hammer fall when it does.
"I am profoundly grateful to the FBI, the Israeli Police investigators and anyone else who helped lead to the arrest of this hacker," she said after the arrest. "I deeply appreciate my fans who have provided us with pertinent information and continue to do so regarding leaks of my music. Like any citizen, I have the right to privacy."
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