Sysadmin under house arrest for blackmailing finance company

A systems administrator accused of trying to blackmail his former employer out of money and even good job references after being laid off was ordered Thursday to remain confined to his home.

Viktor Savtyrev, 29, of Old Bridge, N.J., was arrested at his home Monday morning, just five days after making his first threat against Third Avenue Management, LLC, a mutual fund management company with about US$15 billion in assets and more than 75 employees.

At a bail hearing Thursday morning in U.S. District Court in Newark, N.J., Savtyrev was ordered to 24-hour home confinement, and all computers and Internet devices must be removed from the premises, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Kosto.

Savtyrev was also ordered to surrender his travel documents and post a $200,000 secured property bond.

"This [case] is important, especially at this time of layoffs and financial difficulties, because we're making it clear that people can't take their frustrations out on companies and employers," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Erez Liebermann. "This arrest should also send a message to other companies that extra vigilance is important right now."

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