Somerville Man Wanted For Hacking Boston Hospital Rescued Off Cuba

BOSTON (CBS) – A Somerville man who investigators say fled Massachusetts as he was a part of a federal investigation was arrested after being rescued while floating in a boat off the coast of Cuba.

Martin Gottesfield was under investigation for allegedly hacking into a Massachusetts hospital's network on behalf of the hacking group Anonymous in 2014.

Read: Martin Gottesfield Affidavit

Last week, Somerville Police conducted a well-being check at Gottesfield's apartment after several people said they had not heard from him or his wife in several weeks. No one was home when police checked on the apartment.

On Tuesday, a Disney Cruise Ship responded to a distress call off the coast of Cuba. Gottesfield and his wife were rescued from their small boat.

Gottesfield was arrested on Wednesday in Miami.

In a criminal complaint that was unsealed Wednesday, authorities say Gottesfield hacked into the unnamed Boston hospital's network "in an effort to affect the hospital's handling of a teenage patient ('Patient A') who was the subject of a high-profile custody battle between her parents and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts."

In March 2014 Gottesefield had allegedly posted a YouTube video in the name of Anonymous saying in a computer-generated voice that the group "will punish all those held accountable and will not relend until [Patient A] is free."

The hospital's network was then attacked on April 19, 2014, disrupting operations for about a week.

Gottesfield now faces a charge of conspiracy following his arrest. The charge comes with a maximum sentence of five years in prison.