FBI Typo Triggers Errant E-mail Search - Google turns over gmail emails, wrong guy (not google error

[The Straight Story]

FBI Typo Triggers Errant E-mail Search

DECEMBER 3--A careless FBI agent investigating a notorious Russian spammer inadvertently rifled through the e-mail account of an innocent person due to a typo on a federal search warrant application, court records show.

As part of a probe into the malicious “Mega-D” botnet, FBI Special Agent Jason Pleming in late-July filed for a search warrant to seize Google records associated with two e-mail addresses reportedly used by suspect Oleg Nikolaenko. Pleming identified one of the addresses as ddarwin@ gmail.com.

Federal Magistrate Judge William Callahan approved Pleming’s request, and in mid-August Google turned over a CD containing e-mails from the ddarwin@ gmail.com account. The only problem was that Nikolaenko’s e-mail address was actually ddarwinn@ gmail.com. Pleming had dropped an ‘n’ from the address when he submitted a sworn affidavit to Callahan.

The disclosure of this embarrassing boner came three months later when Pleming, presumably with his badge between his legs, sought another search warrant from Judge Callahan. In an October 29 filing, Pleming noted that, “The email address ddarwin@ gmail.com is owned and used by someone other than Nikoalenko.”

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/fail/fbi-typo-triggers-errant-e-mail-search

[RandomThoughts]

1. Thats why I don't use email.

I once thought of a story, what if every politician or CEO was actually 'just fronting' for someone else.

By the way, Britney has been telling what is going on for awhile also, very courageous girl.

That is why they can not understand their own banking, because they weren't even doing it.

[The Straight Story]

2. Do you know my friend Eliza?

:rofl:

[surrealAmerican]

3. I'd be surprised if this didn't happen frequently.

It is very easy to make this kind of mistake.

[sarcasmo]

4. Story should read FBI agent asks CIA to look at someones email.

We have zero freedom and if you want something hush it needs to be done old school.