WPTV reports that two South Florida men were arrested Wednesday on charges related to Mugshots.com, which posts arrest records and booking photographs — and takes them down only for a fee, authorities say.
Thomas Keesee, of West Palm Beach, and Sahar Sarid, of Lighthouse Point, were arrested in South Florida as part of an effort by the California Attorney General’s Office to pursue criminal charges against people behind the “cyber exploitation website.” The men were charged with extortion, money laundering, and identity theft.
In a statement, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said the defendants “extracted more than $64,000 in removal fees from approximately 175 individuals with billing addresses in California. Nationally, the defendants took more than $2 million in removal fees from approximately 5,703 individuals for the same period.”