The FBI in New York announced Tuesday that it has brought charges against an Iranian national for allegedly hacking the computer servers of HBO and leaking online then-unreleased episodes of Game of Thrones.

Behzad Mesri, also known online as Skote Vahshat, was indicted in the Southern District of New York on seven counts including three counts of computer fraud, wire fraud, extortion and identity theft.

Mesri is believed to have once acted as a hacking expert for the Iranian military, during which he conducted cyber attacks against military systems, nuclear software systems and Israeli infrastructure. The alleged hacker is also believed to have been a member of an Iranian hacking group called Turk Black Hack Security. While a member of the hacking group, Mesri defaced hundreds of websites in the U.S. and around the world under the pseudonym Skote Vahshat.

Who Is Behzad Mesri?

According to the indictment of Mesri, the accused hacker orchestrated the hack against HBO for several months. He began performing reconnaissance of HBO computer networks and employees in May before successfully compromising several user accounts belonging to HBO employees between May and July.

Mesri reportedly maintained unauthorized access to HBO's servers for several months, during which he exfiltrated confidential and proprietary information from the company and transferred it to his own servers. The indictment alleges that Mesri stole video files that contained episodes of Barry, Room 104, Curb Your Enthusiasm and the Duece. He also stole scripts and plot summaries of Game of Thrones.

In addition to stealing information about HBO shows, Mesri also reportedly took contact lists of cast and crew for a number of HBO shows that contained private and personal information, emails belonging to at least one HBO employee, financial documents and login credentials for HBO's social media accounts.

After stealing the data, Mesri then allegedly attempted to monetize his work by carrying out an extortion attempt against HBO. According to the FBI, the hacker sent either directly sent or aided in sending emails to HBO employees, executives and other representatives demanding payment to prevent the release of the stolen data.In the emails, Mesri or accomplices of his wrote that the attack was a "complicated cyber operation" and demanded HBO pay a "non-negotiable" ransom of $5.5 million, which was to be paid in Bitcoin. The ransom rose to $6 million just days later and the hacker threatened to destroy HBO's servers and wipe them of all data. Mesri began leaking the stolen information, including full episodes of shows, online in July after not receiving payment.

The FBI on Tuesday posted a "Wanted" listing for Mesri. The 29-year-old Iranian national, now named one of the FBI's most wanted, is listed as an "international flight risk" by the law enforcement agency.

The hack of HBO, which first became public in July, resulted in more than 1.5 TB of data behind stolen from the company, including unaired episodes of shows including Game of Thrones, Ballers and Room 101. The breach also included other proprietary information including scripts and other documents. At the time, HBO CEO Richard Plepler called the breach “disruptive, unsettling and disturbing."