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CMX goes to jail, or 60th Felony Conviction Obtained in "Operation Fastlink"

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  • CMX goes to jail, or 60th Felony Conviction Obtained in "Operation Fastlink"

    from: http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2009/March/09-crm-203.html

    60th Felony Conviction Obtained in Software Piracy Crackdown “Operation Fastlink”

    WASHINGTON – The 60th felony conviction from Operation Fastlink, a major Department of Justice initiative to combat online piracy worldwide, was announced today by Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division Rita M. Glavin and Acting U.S. Attorney Nora R. Dannehy of the District of Connecticut.

    Bryan Thomas Black, 30, of Waterloo, Ill., pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit criminal infringement of a copyright for his involvement in a multinational software piracy organization that was targeted by investigators as part of "Operation Fastlink," an internationally coordinated 18-month investigation. Black will be sentenced by the Honorable Ellen Bree Burns on May 26, 2009, at which time he faces up to five years of in prison, a fine of $250,000 and three years of supervised release.

    In pleading guilty today, Black admitted that, for nearly four years, he was a participant in the "warez scene," an underground online community made up of individuals and organized groups who engage in the large scale reproduction, modification and distribution of copyrighted software through the Internet. In the warez scene, Black served as the person who would obtain new video game releases and circumvent the digital copyright protections so that the software could then be reproduced and distributed on the Internet. Black also admitted that during the course of the conspiracy, he downloaded thousands of pirated copies of copyrighted works from various Web sites, known as warez sites, knowing that his and his co-conspirators’ actions were unlawful.

    Operation Fastlink has resulted in more than 120 search warrants executed in 12 countries; the confiscation of hundreds of computers and illegal online distribution hubs; and the removal of more than $50 million worth of illegally copied software, games, movies and music from illicit distribution channels. Operation Fastlink is the culmination of multiple FBI undercover investigations targeting individuals involved in the illegal reproduction and distribution of movies, games, business software and music.

    Operation Fastlink was conducted by the FBI, including the New Haven Field Office in coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut and the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS). This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Chang and Senior Counsel Clement McGovern of CCIPS.
    As far as evidence this is indeed the guy known online as CMX, this is relevant: http://gshi.org/wiki/CMGSCCC#Corporation_Info

  • #2
    Anybody involved with him in any kind of code hacking where there is mention of some kind of piracy will probably get screwed as well in someway or form.Hopefully he covered his tracks well or that there is little to no inciminating evidence against anyone else.
    Spoiler Alert! Click to view...

    THE BAD GUY!!!!!!

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    • #3
      Yeah. Hopefully they go easy on him. I wanted to smack him for some of the things he's done in the last few years, but I wouldn't wish prison time on him. Plus, from what I hear, his wife left him some time ago, and he went bankrupt. He hasn't had a good go of things for a while.
      I may be lazy, but I can...zzzZZZzzzZZZzzzZZZ...

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      • #4
        He likely fingered some Serious Pirates really close to him to get off easier.

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        • #5
          Could be. It'd be pretty lame if he did that.
          I may be lazy, but I can...zzzZZZzzzZZZzzzZZZ...

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          • #6
            Wow. I figured something would eventually happen. How else would he get ahold of games to hack so frequently?

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            • #7
              I wonder if he's out now?

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              • #8
                If he actually went to prison it was for only six months or so. I think he actually wound up with some combination of house-arrest and a lengthy period of probation. The terms can't have been that restrictive either, since he started working for Hyperkin within a few years of being sentenced. If they're supplying him with games to hack, that's a complete return to what got him in trouble in the first place.
                Last edited by Pyriel; 06-16-2014, 07:18:55 AM.

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