Have you ever heard of or used Megaupload? This hosting service was originally founded by Kim Dotcom and presented itself as a service where internet users could store data and share files. As you can imagine, it didn’t take long for users to realize that they could store data, like movies or television shows, on the platform and other users could then download it for themselves.

As a result, Megaupload quickly became a platform that hosted pirated and stolen content. It wasn’t a small platform either. At the height of its success, Megaupload was the 13th most popular website on the web and scooped up about 4% of international internet traffic.

It didn’t take long for the FBI to shut down the website and track down the founder who was residing in New Zealand. The U.S. Justice Department quickly issued a warrant for Kim Dotcom’s arrest for copyright infringement, racketeering, and money laundering. It’s estimated by the Justice Department that Megaupload caused at least $500 million of harm and generated over $175 million in illegal profits.

The warrant and extradition request were reviewed by NZ justice minister Paul Goldsmith, who approved the extradition order after carefully going over all the information. Dotcom was arrested alongside three colleagues.

One of those individuals has since passed away, while the other two were both sentenced by a New Zealand court to serve out 2.5 years in jail and the U.S. agreed to drop their extradition requests. The U.S. still wants to extradite Dotcom, though, but Dotcom has posted onto social media that he has a plan to stay in New Zealand.

Extradition: What it Means and How it Could Apply to You

In the media, you often see mega-criminals thwarting justice by fleeing to another country. This might work out in some situations, but often, the person who attempts to do this gets apprehended when an international warrant for the person’s arrest is issued. From there, they are extradited back to the country where they’re accused of the crime. They’ll face their charges, and their situation might even be compounded by their attempt to flee. For instance, they are very unlikely to secure bail, and prosecutors may use your attempts to run as proof of their guilt.

To avoid this situation, it’s far better to simply hire an attorney when you know you’re getting charged with a crime. If you’re currently in a different country than the one charging you with the crime, then it’s best to consult with an international attorney.

Here at Bukh Global, our team of international legal experts understands exactly how complicated your situation gets when various governments, authorities, laws, and borders are involved. You can lean on our team’s years of experience resolving these types of situations to help you navigate your case.

Are you ready to get started? Leave your contact details on our online form now to schedule a free, confidential consultation with our top international lawyers. We’ll go over the details of what happened with you and work toward determining your best legal path forward.