Government To Name 'Key Witness' Who Provided FBI With Backdoored Encrypted Chat App Anom (404media.co) 7
An anonymous reader shares a report: A lawyer defending an alleged distributor of Anom, the encrypted phone company for criminals that the FBI secretly ran and backdoored to intercept tens of millions of messages, is pushing to learn the identity of the confidential human source (CHS) who first created Anom and provided it to the FBI starting the largest sting operation in history, according to recently filed court records. The government says it will provide that identity under discovery, but the CHS may also be revealed in open court if they testify.
The move is significant in that the CHS, who used the pseudonym Afgoo while running Anom, is a likely target for retaliation from violent criminals caught in Anom's net. The Anom case, called Operation Trojan Shield, implicated hundreds of criminal syndicates in more than 100 countries. That includes South American cocaine traffickers, Australian biker gangs, and kingpins hiding in Dubai. Anom also snagged specific significant drug traffickers like Hakan Ayik, who authorities say heads the Aussie Cartel which brought in more than a billion Australian dollars in profit annually. Court records say, however, that if this defendant's case goes to trial, the lawyer believes Afgoo will be the "government's key witness."
The move is significant in that the CHS, who used the pseudonym Afgoo while running Anom, is a likely target for retaliation from violent criminals caught in Anom's net. The Anom case, called Operation Trojan Shield, implicated hundreds of criminal syndicates in more than 100 countries. That includes South American cocaine traffickers, Australian biker gangs, and kingpins hiding in Dubai. Anom also snagged specific significant drug traffickers like Hakan Ayik, who authorities say heads the Aussie Cartel which brought in more than a billion Australian dollars in profit annually. Court records say, however, that if this defendant's case goes to trial, the lawyer believes Afgoo will be the "government's key witness."
Re:FBI *RAT* (Score:4)
Did someone's buddies get caught? Boo hoo. Too bad.
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
I doubt there's a witness protection program in existence that could keep this guy safe.
There probably is, but it might involve a face transplant or never leaving your home just in case someone might recognize you.
Re: (Score:2)
No good deed goes unpunished.
This just in ... (Score:2)
Afgoo is Vladimir Putin.
Afgoo (Score:2)
"Afgoo" is a strain of cannabis.
This very important detail was left out of the summary.
I will now go back to vaping.