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Marcus Hutchins, the celebrated security professional who was arrested Wednesday on federal charges he helped create and distribute malware that steals banking credentials, will be released from detention pending $ 30,000 bail, according to Las Vegas reporter Christy Wilcox and other news outlets.
Wilcox reported on Twitter that Hutchins will stay in a halfway house until more permanent housing arrangements are made. She said Hutchins would spend at least one more night in detention, because defense attorneys were unable to raise the required funds in time. The security researcher, who was instrumental in neutralizing the virulent WCry ransomware worm that shut down computers worldwide in May, appeared at a federal court hearing in Las Vegas late Friday afternoon wearing a yellow detainee jumpsuit with orange Crocs and socks.
According to the reporter, federal prosecutors told the court that Hutchins admitted to developing the malware at the heart of the criminal case and to playing a role in its sale. She said Hutchins’ attorney disagreed with that claim. Federal prosecutors also attempted to block Hutchins’ request for bail on grounds he had shot firearms at a shooting range last week while in Vegas for the Black Hat and Defcon security gatherings. Magistrate Judge Nancy Koppe ruled that Hutchins is not a danger to the community and has sufficient community support to not be a flight risk, the Associated Press reported.
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