A janitor who worked at the home of the Israeli Defense Minister tried to spy on him at the request of a group of hackers linked to Iran, according to the Israeli justice. Omri Goren Gorochovsky, 38, was arrested in November and sentenced to three years in prison on Tuesday.
According to the local press, Gorochovsky is from Lod, a city 23 kilometers from Tel Aviv. Last year, he reportedly contacted the Black Shadow group via Telegram and, under a false identity, informed them that he worked for the head of the Israeli Defense portfolio, Benny Gantz.
Justice accuses him of offering the minister’s data and implanting a bug in his computer in exchange for US$ 7,000 (R$ 36,7 thousand). To prove that he did indeed have the capacity to provide the material, Gorochovsky sent photos taken from inside the politician’s home, including his computer, phone, tax records and picture frame.
Details about the Black Shadow group are uncertain. According to the British newspaper The Guardian, the hacking collective has already claimed several cyber attacks against Israeli companies and internet service providers. Gorochovsky, by the way, researched these episodes before sending the messages on Telegram.
At trial, the janitor admitted to most of the charges against him, although he denied having allied with Iran to spy on Gantz. “This is not an espionage scandal,” his lawyers said after the sentencing. According to supporters, Gorochovsky was heavily in debt and tried to exploit security holes in the minister’s home to pay them off.
On Channel 12, the janitor said that if Israeli intelligence had waited a few days before arresting him, they would have seen that he was not a spy. “I wanted to trick the Iranians and take the money without sending any photos or documents,” he said.
No data was ever sent, according to Tel Aviv. Although he was sentenced to three years in prison, Gorokovsky was able to clear himself of spying charges, under an agreement between the Israeli justice and his lawyers.
Regardless of the janitor’s intent, the scandal spilled over into Israel’s internal intelligence service, the Shin Bet, known as one of the most advanced in the world. That’s because Gorochovsky was hired by Gantz despite having four prison sentences — two for bank robberies.
This is not the first time Israel has accused Iran of spying on the defense chief. In March 2019, his cell phone was hacked by groups linked to Tehran, according to local media. Earlier this year, Tel Aviv arrested four Jewish women of Iranian descent on charges of photographing strategic places in Israel, including the US Consulate in Tel Aviv, establishing ties with politicians and providing information about the country’s security measures to an Israeli agent. Will.
On the other hand, Tehran confirms that Israeli spies have also infiltrated the highest echelons of the country’s politics.
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