Diogo Santos Coelho is 24 years old and faces 57 years in a US prison. Detention in the United Kingdom does not guarantee extradition to the United States, but it is a highly likely scenario.
Last week, the United Kingdom's Defense Minister, Tom Tugendhat, refused to listen to the Portuguese hacker's defense and chose to follow the extradition request made by the United States. In February, a judge considered a request by Diogo's lawyers and ordered the teenager's transfer to Portugal. But because of a request from the US, the UK Attorney General's Office decided to refer the case to a minister who has the final decision-making power. Tom Tugenthat didn't want to listen to defense arguments and decided in favor of the US, where the hacker was charged with conspiracy, device access fraud and aggravated identity theft. The defense has three months to appeal.
Diogo Santos Coelho was arrested in the United Kingdom in 2022. He is suspected of creating a platform RaidForums, used to transact large amounts of stolen data online, from credit card numbers to bank account access passwords. Payments made in exchange for this data were made in cryptocurrencies. According to the FBI, it was the largest marketplace and virtual meeting point for many hackers with half a million users.
According to CNN Portugal, one of Diogo Santos Coelho's victims was the North American telecommunications company T-Mobile. Data of 50 million users stolen and posted on RaidForums. To try to reverse the theft, the company paid 252 thousand euros Bitcoin.
In the past, the British Department of Justice had already accepted an extradition request from the United States, but the defense appealed, saying that Diogo Santos Coelho's autism would put his life at risk in a US prison.
Diogo Santos Coelho is placed under house arrest with an electronic bracelet at his apartment in Vauxhall, United Kingdom, after being detained at Gatwick Airport in London on January 31, 2022. At the time, he was trying to enter the country to visit his mother, who was in a nursing home with a degenerative disease that causes brain cells to die. According to the investigation, many of the crimes he is suspected of taking place using computer servers hosted in Portugal.
The son of Portuguese parents, Diogo Santos Coelho lived in England for a few years until his parents separated. At that time, the young man returned to Portugal with his father, while his mother remained in England. At age 14, he created raid forums. He used the aliases “Kevin Maradona” and “Shiza”, among others, and allegedly had at least two accomplices.
Henry Blackwell is a contributor at Mediarunsearch.co.uk, covering a wide range of topics including news, politics, business, technology, sport, entertainment, and lifestyle. He focuses on delivering clear, balanced reporting and useful information that helps readers stay informed about current events and emerging developments. His work highlights stories that matter to everyday audiences, with an emphasis on accuracy, relevance, and accessible journalism.