Two years ago, Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom joked in emails with his new neighbors in New Zealand nearly his bad-boy reputation ahead telling them his criminal past was behind him and he was coming to the land with good intentions.

I am a previous hacker who was erstwhile convicted of insider trading, he wrote, before travelling on to say In all seriousness: My wife, two youngsters and myself love New Zealand and ‘We come in peace.