This thread might be well worth pulling for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the DOJ National Security Division allowing three former Intelligence Community Contractors to pay their way out of criminal charges. {Main DOJ Press Release Here} It appears that criminal operatives that come from within the Fourth Branch of government are allowed to get a “first-of-its-kind resolution.”
Apparently it looks like three men Marc Baier, 49, Ryan Adams, 34, and a former U.S. citizen, Daniel Gericke, 40, all former employees of the U.S. Intelligence Community (USIC) or the U.S. military, left the contractor employment of the USIC in 2016 and went to work for the United Arab Emirates. It appears the three were experts in computer intrusion; meaning they were hackers for the U.S. government working inside the intelligence system.
When they went to work for the UAE, they helped develop hacking tools that were later used to hack into U.S. cell phone networks and operating systems. They were supposed to register as free-lance hackers, they didn’t; and they were not allowed to help foreign governments hack into U.S. systems, which they did. When the FBI and U.S. authorities caught them, the three hackers then worked out a deal with the Dept of Justice to pay a fine and give up their security clearances.
DOJ – On Sept. 7, U.S. citizens, Marc Baier, 49, and Ryan Adams, 34, and a former U.S. citizen, Daniel Gericke, 40, all former employees of the U.S. Intelligence Community (USIC) or the U.S. military, entered into a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) that restricts their future activities and employment and requires the payment of $1,685,000 in penalties to resolve a Department of Justice investigation regarding violations of U.S. export control, computer fraud and access device fraud laws. The Department filed the DPA today, along with a criminal information alleging that the defendants conspired to violate such laws.
According to court documents, the defendants worked as senior managers at a United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.)-based company (U.A.E. CO) that supported and carried out computer network exploitation (CNE) operations (i.e., “hacking”) for the benefit of the U.A.E government between 2016 and 2019. Despite being informed on several occasions that their work for U.A.E. CO, under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), constituted a “defense service” requiring a license from the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), the defendants proceeded to provide such services without a license.
These services included the provision of support, direction and supervision in the creation of sophisticated “zero-click” computer hacking and intelligence gathering systems – i.e., one that could compromise a device without any action by the target. U.A.E. CO employees whose activities were supervised by and known to the defendants thereafter leveraged these zero-click exploits to illegally obtain and use access credentials for online accounts issued by U.S. companies, and to obtain unauthorized access to computers, like mobile phones, around the world, including in the United States.
“This agreement is the first-of-its-kind resolution of an investigation into two distinct types of criminal activity: providing unlicensed export-controlled defense services in support of computer network exploitation, and a commercial company creating, supporting and operating systems specifically designed to allow others to access data without authorization from computers worldwide, including in the United States,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Mark J. Lesko for the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Hackers-for-hire and those who otherwise support such activities in violation of U.S. law should fully expect to be prosecuted for their criminal conduct.” (read more)
Three orcs trained within the Fourth Branch system, left with their credentials and went to work on their own to make more money. They got caught using their USIC skills to attack companies inside the United States. Those who guard the Fourth Branch, gave them a fine and revoked their credentials. A special tier of justice for a special class of criminal.
Is there ANY part of this criminal governmental cartel that is clean??? No, don’t answer. That was a rhetorical question.
I wonder if as part of the deal they now have to work for Obama directly?
I suspect everybody in DC, no matter how high or low, works directly for that repugnant person.
Obviously Buraq and Susie Rice are untouchable.
I can see where part of the deal was sharing some hot stock market information worth a lot more than that fine they’ll be paying.
You are not suggesting that the DOJ trades on insider indictment information? Of course they do!
Uhhhh yes! My guess is they were working for “us” and them, only they weren’t supposed to be working for them. A little side gig to fatten the wallet, only they got caught. They get off easy so they keep their mouths shut.
Since Obummer…NOTHING in this government, OUR government, is clean…IT is like a waster water treatment plant!!! UGH!!! ???
Clintons.
The Country’s heading into its second only era of economic Stagflation, a Democratic specialty. This is going to be rough but like all hardships in life it’s also going to be a blessing in disguise. It’s going to paralyze the Democrats ability to Print money and coopt countries, organizations, and people. We’re not a little banana republic – China’s not going to be able to come along and subsidize their operations.
See, you can’t Print your way out of stagflation, that’s the source of the problem. Biden thinks he can (and all the dumbass bureaucrats) but they can’t (gone to the well to many times). Like I said it’s going to be rough, he’s going to give us a Crash we can’t get out of utilizing Monetary Policy. Another President might be able to utilize some sort of Productivity oriented Work-Fare but mostly it’s going to have to work itself out naturally according to all the Laws of Economics.
That’s where he’s taking the democratic party, Oblivion. And as the consequences of this spill out over the Globe it’s tough to describe how despised Joe Biden and his democratic party are going to be.
Churchill use to warn the rest of the world not to pressure Socialism into the United States because the entire world had become dependent on American productive capacity and generosity. If we fall then there’s no-one to come to the rescue.
All of that fall-out will be blamed directly on the democratic party of America, as it should be for stealing the Election and being the vehicle used for this intrusion. Then they can take their rightful place alongside the other monstrous regime of the 21st century the Chinese communist party (who will fall even faster than us without American support).
There’s nothing more Inflationary and Ineffective than a massive “Intelligence Community.”
If we take Inflation as the result of non-productive enterprises (or receivers) which add to the Demand but they don’t add to the Supply of useable goods; things become much more expensive.
Ineffectually – throughout the History of Western Civilization espionage was rightly disparaged (that’s why spies don’t have the rights of citizens and can be sent to places like GITMO, or in war they’re not covered under the Geneva Convention) because it creates an ever compounding exercise in futility. It’s the undeniable reality of social contacts and a limitless objective combined with a strategic mission incorporating highly suspect anything-goes philosophies such as “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” or “using double agents” (how do we know they’re not triple agents?). All of it operating in the shadows. Thus everything is in place for the “Intelligence” culture to inevitably become very corrupt and pervasive.
Also there’s the whole ballooning phenomena of the 10’ fence – 11’ ladder, 11’ fence – 12’ ladder, and so on. The whole thing has always been considered utterly ridiculous. Basically you have your society creating spies and not goods and services.
There’s only one valid reason for modern espionage. That’s to detect First Strike Nuclear Capability (or any other weapon of First Strike Total Destruction). All the rest is a complete farse, but it does make for a really good (and extremely zealous) political constituency. It’s zealous because it can be. Our Rights were trampled in its creation so it leverages that against anything which threatens its preservation.
All this stuff flows down hill as predictably as water into a pond, or should I say swamp.
The society needs a certain amount of good & services to stay in price equilibrium. If you add non-productive workers and recipients they’re not adding anything; you have the same amount of goods & services with more people demanding them. Then when you compound this with the fact that their government job probably makes things more difficult to produce you can start to see why things become much more expensive.
I say start because in a massive society you’re going to have the snowballing effects of market momentum and psychology to contend with also. Plus synergistic effects like adding to the Money Supply. I can’t imagine anything more Inflationary than a government using Monetary Policy to fight its own people tooth & nail.
As far as spying on us and their involvement in politics:
Of course they do, we make soft targets. They’re apprehensive to spy on other countries, other countries are full of the same assets. Also they need to be careful about the network, they’re all colleagues (like the international banking network). That’s part of the whole futility of Spy v. Spy and another of the many reasons why espionage was always looked down on until the Nuclear Age. There was only one valid reason for modern espionage. That was to detect First Strike Nuclear Capability.
Also, it’s impossible to have a large “Intelligence Community,” to many eyeballs and mouths. It’s more of a Public Relations Organization for the government. That explains them Leaking like a sieve. The whole thing’s ridiculous.
The NSA for instance was a pure 911 farce; since by far the most effective counter-terrorism measure that could have been implemented was to tighten immigration and travel visas, and not rely on foreign labor; that would be something concrete. Until you’ve done something concrete like that at the stratospheric level all the rest is nothing but a joke.
Appreciate the thoughts. Cant disagree.
Thank you for your analysis, RacerX. I appreciate your sharing your thoughts.
I do have a couple of questions that weren’t addressed by your statements. First of all, they don’t respect our Constitution and very busy trying to tear it to shreds. We lose our Bill of Rights and our Constitution and we have no rights. They will do as they wish to us, as their F-15 fighters (bragged on by JoBama) are certainly bigger and more powerful than our AR-15s. I expect they will attempt to take us all to extermination camps at some point.
Secondly, there is talk about a new monetary system (tied to the vax of course) so that everyone has a digital number, a digital account (that mRna shot has graphine oxide in it which can be transmitted to and from using 5g – or at least that’s my understanding), so they will reduce the population to the size they can control and the rest of us are expendable.
I agree they will need some slaves to generate entertainment for themselves. They are already “bonding” with AI and machines, so there will be robots to tend their mansions, cook their food, do their laundry, etc. I think from there perspective, they can create heaven on earth if they can eliminate humans and themselves become transhuman.
On the upside, I agree with you. I know they won’t succeed, but in the interim they can cause havoc, chaos and destruction.
“That’s where he’s taking the democratic party, Oblivion. And as the consequences of this spill out over the Globe it’s tough to describe how despised Joe Biden and his democratic party are going to be.
Churchill use to warn the rest of the world not to pressure Socialism into the United States because the entire world had become dependent on American productive capacity and generosity. If we fall then there’s no-one to come to the rescue.
All of that fall-out will be blamed directly on the democratic party of America, as it should be for stealing the Election and being the vehicle used for this intrusion”
Thanks for the lengthy post… I have been hearing for decades that the Democratic Party is/was a ‘goner’ because of their utterly stupid ideas… happen yet????
Also unlikely to face consequences for Treason:
Some sins cannot be repaid in mere money
thank you it was to hearting
Thank you. I’m sharing it everywhere.
Beautiful and yet so heart wrenching – thank you for sharing. Lyrics and music are hauntingly accurate.
Two justice systems is only one of many things I saw when Trump tore the mask off of them. Sundance I do give you credit for uncovering so many more things. Thank you. Like you said, once you see the strings… Still, it’s heartbreaking to me they stole a presidency so easy. They broke America, and this article is further proof.
/and Milley is a traitor
Every pervy or otherwise pic I see of that rotting cabbage (to borrow a moniker from JJ Sefton at Ace of Spades) I feel my skin crawl and completely nauseous. Every time I see an historical pic of Mr Trump and his elegant wife during his term, it’s all I can do not to burst out crying.
That usually means the US government/4th Branch was involved in the crime to begin with.
More precisely, it means one branch or agency of the government caught another branch or agency doing naughty things.
The perps (pawns) were caught in the middle, but they are essentially protected because our government does not punish itself–it just puts naughty boys and girls in timeout.
Or gives them a raise.
All three were likely trained in classical Chicago politics, where their first task was to tap into the cell phones of those they could blackmail if they were ever caught.
This likely has very close ties with the state surveillance of the Trump campaign in 2016.
Two weeks after leaving her position as an intelligence analyst for the NSA in 2014, Lori Stroud was in the Middle East working as a hacker for an Arab monarchy – hacking phones and computers of its “enemies”.
She had joined Project Raven, a clandestine team that included more than a dozen former U.S. intelligence operatives recruited to help the United Arab Emirates engage in surveillance of other governments, militants and human rights activists critical of the monarchy.
In 2016, the Emiratis moved Project Raven to a UAE cyber security firm named DarkMatter. Stroud and other Americans involved in the effort say they saw the mission cross a red line: targeting fellow Americans for surveillance.
Defendants Marc Baier, Ryan Adams, and Daniel Gericke were also part of Project Raven.
Sources: Reuters and DevDiscourse
…wonder whether there is tie-in with the reports of internet access / thousands of international logins to dominion servers during the nov 3 communist coup.
Department of INjustice needs to be totally overhauled along with their coverup unit the FBI. Rank and file must be terminated and replaced. Everybody must go. Rotten to the core.
Agreed. Who’s going to do it?
We have a “legal system” but no justice system.
It helps to know what skeletons are in which closets. It is even more helpful to know who put them there.
I am not willing to take the government’s word they left the employment of the United States’ intelligence services when they began working as hackers-for-hire. Receiving Community Chest levels of punishment after setting up a spy shop on foreign soil, and in Dubai of all places, smells like a stew of plausible deniability and quid pro quo to me.
EXACTLY. this may very well be them getting a jump on a more salacious, forthcoming version of the story on exactly what they hacked and did – they get in front with “not my problem, they weren’t one of us”
Why is it I hear Gomer Pyle crying in my ear ‘surprise, surprise, surprise’ with that funny look on his face?
You all hear about personal carbon allowance?
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.treehugger.com/amp/time-to-consider-personal-carbon-allowances-5201193
Ever hear about the Open Thread?
More wrist slaps for our intel buddies while a bunch of yahoos from Jan 6 languish in Federal prison in various states of health and no trials. Tell me again about those “rank and file” Sean Hannity. Sick of these clowns.
They will probably get a job with the NSA.
They already have a job with NSA.
Everyone and their mother is [insert the appropriate word] America and getting away with that.
As if Apple did not know what was going on…
Apple Rushes to Block Spyware Infections That Don’t Need a Click
https://archive.is/zejos#selection-3817.0-3817.64
Treason?
Not without a justice system. We don’t have one.
Meanwhile real patriots rot in the DC jail facing felony charges as a result of the 1/6 FBI op. It will be interesting to see how many are arrested at the 1/18 demonstration supporting them.
“Those who guard the Fourth Branch, gave them a fine and revoked their credentials. A special tier of justice for a special class of criminal.”
In addition they were probably re-hired by some spook contractor after they gave up all info about their previous employers. I would doubt that USIC would let those skills go to waste…
Any word on who specifically was injured in the hack attacks?
Who lost money, who lost client info etc.?
Any word on how they arrived at that number?
Is it just 10% for the Big Guy?
I seriously doubt they ever left the spook’s employ.
“A special tier of justice for a special class of criminal.”
Egads. This goes BEYOND the “Two Tiered Justice System” that Hillary exploited even while she used it as part of her own campaign platform.
I wonder if they really just blackmailed their way out of jail, and those fines are more window dressing meant to protect the optics of a government DESPERATELY trying to maintain a fake veneer of propriety?
Who wins in the end – the orcs or Frodo?
How long have they known?
2016 was such an important year
A 2016 Intercept article by reporter Jenna McLaughlin revealed how the Maryland-based computer security firm CyberPoint assembled a team of Americans for a contract to hone UAE’s budding hacking and surveillance capabilities, leaving some recruits unsettled. Much of the CyberPoint team was later poached by DarkMatter, a firm with close ties to the Emirati government and headquartered just two floors from the Emirati equivalent of the NSA, the National Electronic Security Authority (which later became the Signals Intelligence Agency). One of McLaughlin’s sources described the episode as something of a “hostile takeover” by the UAE government. A subsequent story detailed how American spies at DarkMatter had been crucial in building the UAE’s intelligence apparatus. The NESA would go on to become Project Raven’s primary “client,” responsible for handing down groups and organizations to be targeted and compromised.
https://theintercept.com/2019/06/12/darkmatter-uae-hack-intercept/
Could this have anything to do with the Vegas massacre?
No charges…..paid their way out….????
They must be demOCrats.
They’re our kind of people … we can’t hurt ’em too much … a little slap on the wrist will do.
And, in time, all will be forgotten and forgiven … unlike the political prisoners held in DC … MAGA crowd have targets marking them ready to nail ’em every time.
Lori Stroud
Click to open the thread and scroll up to the beginning:
How much did they get payed for this work, and was the fine a minor issue, in that context?
Did their employer reimburse them for it?
If they had gotten permission, and registered, would any of this happened?
“Hackers can fully expect to be prosecuted for their acts” he says even as he lets them off with a fine.
Just when you think they can’t dispay their tone-deafness any more,…they top themselves!
This went on during our President’s tenure as well (President Trump) and all those people got as punishment was a handshake. Not even a slap on the wrist. Vindman the prime example.
Never bite the hand that feeds you. That’s the Federal gov’s employees motto. But, if you are on their side of the fence you can get away with it with a huge break. Might even get book funding.
I have been a staunch Christian conservative since before most of you were born. That said, I still call them as I see them. This is supposed to be a free country, with free expression and protection from censorship.
Well, I just got banned from CFP (Citizens Free Press). Guess Kane didn’t like my POV on the freedom of choice when it comes to vaccines. You want one get a jab. You don’t that’s just perfect too. No harm no foul . THIS IS WHO WE ARE, or should be anyways. PERSONAL CHOICE.
It can’t work both ways. You’re are either righteous and respect personal choice or you’re a Nazi. And there now seems to be Nazis on both side of the argument. Then again it has always worked that way, sigh. Straight out of Animal Farm….
I wonder who they were hacking ? and if that gave them a get out of jail free card.
They called their software exploits KARMA and KARMA 2
James Wolfe’s attorney threatened to drag a number of Senators into the investigation of leaked classified information. These spooks did essentially the same thing. They knew it would come and they were fully prepared.
Bloody Hell! And people who went to the Jan 6 rally, and walked into the Capitol, are rotting in jail with all their Constitutional and Civil Rights violated!
The list of traitors and necessary hangings is getting longer and longer. Thousands.
Alot of traitors.
In a convo with Gen Li, Miley is reported as saying, the US government is stable. Everything is going to be ok.
Source: Washington Post.
You decide.
Wanna bet there is a non-disclosure agreement?
potential translation- these guys cut a deal to give US all of their stuff and whatever stuff UAE and some others may have.
The corrupt taking care of its own. To a democrat, corruption is a way of life.
Can we get all states to recede from The District of Columbia and call it a day — seems so easy
Karine jean-pierre….a pretty disraction…see her eyes…what the Chinese call “three whites”….
This is the department of “injustice.” They are a part & parcel of the biden crime family, but will one day, stand before The Real Judge, as individuals not part of a rabid mob.
Ummm….if the US Citizens, who were part of this little episode, did not have Export Licenses there is no way to buy your way out of development, build and delivery of document, product, manufacturing know how, et al.
Then there are violations of their NDA’s as well as divulging classified materials. NDA’s of all sorts are signed upon departure from Government and private sector jobs involving this type work.
If these guys somehow did wrangle the right Export Licenses, then there is another trail to follow (and may even mean they were still employed by USIC).
Then there is this other little detail of DoJ’s favorite crime to hand on their public enemies…FARA.
So much of this does not pass the smell test that this is really thread to pull upon.
Well now, isn’t that just charming! Can’t even comprehend how this is even possible or an option?! But then again I’m just an honest American, living my best life, and trying to do no harm. Big sigh!
My first thought… I wonder who paid the tab for them?
So, they got busted for “hacking without a license”.
After being warned — they did not get “a license from the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC)…”
Almost as bad as selling manpads to the islamic radicals in Libya ….. didn’t they come through UAE too?
Huh …
So the DOJ does extortion (in public) now. There’s a twist!
/s and where the F does this ever end??
As-Rem…second thread this guy is spamming…please permanently block his acct…we do not need this garbage clogging up the blogs here
Gee,”a former U.S. citizen, Daniel Gericke” had to “give up [his] security clearances”?
They were probably given until the end of the week to clear their “desks” — aka setting up their own new accounts within the system.
So does everyone here use a VPN and encrypted email? Would that be effective to protect privacy? Not that I do anything worth hacking, but just in case I decide to start.
“Pay their way out”? A la Eric Holder’s Justice System…this money will be funneled to the DNC…
Now, now. I would just call this a public/private enterprise. The U.S. gubt got what they wanted. The software. And they got paid for taking it.
C’mon Man!
These guys get a slap on the wrist all the while Julian Assange sits in prison.
Its a government mafia.
There is likely no way that the three weren’t aware of their responsibilities under the ITAR, as all major US companies that work in the IC or Defense markets conduct ITAR training annually. I worked for three different large Defense contractors after retiring from the Army and all three did ITAR training.
Sundance: Not such a “special” tier after all… most everybody in every instance, seems to be eligible… (except, of course, True Patriots)