Farrera-Brochez pleads not guilty in US court; trial set for May 7

The Kentucky federal court trial of Mikhy Farrera-Brochez, who faces three charges, is expected to last three days.
The Kentucky federal court trial of Mikhy Farrera-Brochez, who faces three charges, is expected to last three days.

Mikhy Farrera-Brochez, the American at the centre of Singapore's HIV database leak, has pleaded not guilty in a US court to three charges related to stolen identification documents from Singapore.

His plea of not guilty on Tuesday in a Kentucky federal court means the case will now proceed to trial on May 7.

The trial is expected to last three days, said United States government prosecutor Dmitriy Slavin.

Farrera-Brochez, 34, was named by Singapore's Ministry of Health as the person behind the online leak of the Republic's HIV Registry in January.

His partner, Singaporean doctor Ler Teck Siang, had access to the database as head of the National Public Health Unit.

Farrera-Brochez was deported to the US in April last year after serving a jail sentence for fraud and drug-related offences.

The first two charges, of intent to extort, involve e-mails he sent this year threatening to release the HIV database and injure the reputation of the Singapore Government and its officials.

Each charge carries a penalty of up to two years in jail, a fine of up to US$250,000 (S$340,000) and supervised release of up to one year.

The third charge concerns his unlawful transfer or possession of identification documents with the intent to extort.

He may be jailed for up to five years, fined up to US$250,000 and be subject to supervision for up to three years after his release, if found guilty of this charge.

He will also have to forfeit his mobile phones, electronic storage devices and e-mail accounts used to commit the crimes if found guilty.

After the court hearing, Farrera-Brochez's lawyer Jay Oakley told The Straits Times that his client has the right to a trial if he is not happy with the settlement offers put on the table by prosecutors.

"We're preparing as if we're going to trial," said Mr Oakley. "Things appear to be directed that way."

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on March 21, 2019, with the headline Farrera-Brochez pleads not guilty in US court; trial set for May 7. Subscribe