Alleged Yahoo hacker is considering waiving extradition hearing

Karim Baratov, the Hamilton man who is facing charges related to a massive Yahoo hack, is considering waivinghis extradition hearing to go straight to trial in the U.S.

U.S. authorities allege Baratov,from suburban Ancaster,was a"hacker-for-hire" with Russian ties.

Baratov's defence lawyer Amedeo DiCarlo has traveled to Washington, D.C., to speak with American authorities about the case.

"I have faith it's going to go better there than it has been here," DiCarlo said after a brief court hearing in Hamilton Superior Court on Friday.

DiCarlosaid he hasn't yet decided whether to waive the extradition hearing. He'll return to court on July 7 to announce that decision.

If he agrees to waive the extradition hearing, DiCarlosays,"We at least concede there's enough evidence to at least stand trial (in the U.S.), not necessarily enough evidence to (convict)."

"If he's sitting here for months and months and months and he goes there and potentially can get something that doesn't involve any custody, then why sit here?That's the issue," DiCarlo said.

"I don't want him to serve more time than necessary."

DiCarlo emphasized that waiving the extradition hearing would not mean Baratov is admitting to any of the allegations made by U.S. authorities.

Arrested in March

Baratovwas one of four men indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice on charges related to computer hacking, economic espionage and other offences. Two of the others are Russian intelligence officersDmitry Aleksandrovich Dokuchaev, 33, andIgor Anatolyevich Sushchin, 43. Russian nationalAlexsey Alexseyevich Belan, also known as Magg,29, has also been indicted.

U.S. officials allegethe four hacked into Yahoo's systems and stole information from more than 500 million user accounts.

The breach at Yahoo affected at least a half billion user accounts, althoughBaratov is only accused of hacking 80 of them.

Baratovwore a black t-shirt, black pants and glasses in court on Friday.

An Ontario Court of Appeals judge last Friday dismissed an attemptfor Baratov to be allowed to wait out a U.S. extradition hearing at home, saying the 22-year-old is a flight risk.

kelly.bennett@cbc.ca