Lithuanian man brought to US to face $100 million fraud case

NEW YORK – A Lithuanian man has been extradited to the United States to face charges that he duped Google and Facebook into sending him over $100 million.

Evaldas Rimasauskas (eh-VAHL’-dahs ree-muh-SOWS’-kuhs) pleaded not guilty Thursday in Manhattan federal court. He arrived in New York Wednesday night.

The 48-year-old Vilnius, Lithuania, man was charged with wire fraud, money laundering and aggravated identity theft.

The companies were identified in a Lithuanian court document, which said Google sent over $23 million and Facebook sent nearly $100 million to bank accounts controlled by Rimasauskas.

Google, of Mountain View, California, said in a statement that it detected the fraud, alerted authorities and has recouped its money. Facebook, of Menlo Park, California, declined to comment.

A lawyer for Rimasauskas promised a “good defence.”

If convicted, he could face over 60 years in prison.