American who leaked Singapore HIV data jailed in the United States

[September 30, 2019]    SINGAPORE (Reuters) - An American who leaked the names of more than 14,000 HIV-positive people in Singapore has been sentenced to 24 months in a U.S. federal prison for extorting the Singapore government.

Mikhy Farrera-Brochez, a 34-year-old man originally from Winchester, Kentucky, was found guilty in June of threatening the Singapore government with widely publishing the identification of HIV positive patients.

The data included information on more than 50 U.S. citizens.

The U.S. Attorney's Office of the Eastern District of Kentucky published details of the sentencing in a statement released on Friday.

"The defendant's conduct was serious and significant, affecting thousands of people across the world," said United States Attorney Robert Duncan, according to the statement.

Farrera-Brochez was also ordered to forfeit to the federal government the electronic devices and Google accounts he used in his crimes, the prosecutor's office said.

Singapore deported Farrera-Brochez last year after convicting him of numerous drug-related and fraud offences, including lying about his own HIV status.

Farrera-Brochez disclosed online the personal information of 5,400 citizens diagnosed with HIV up to January 2013, and of 8,800 foreigners diagnosed up to December 2011, Singapore's health ministry said in January.

Upon release from prison, Farrera-Brochez, originally from Winchester, Kentucky, will be on supervised release for three years.

Reuters could not reach Farrera-Brochez or his lawyer for comment.

(Reporting by Aradhana Aravindan; Editing by Joe Brock and Lincoln Feast.)

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