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.

Nora R. Dannehy, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RICHARD MENDEZ, also known as "Metalslug," 25, of Hoboken, New Jersey, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Mark R. Kravitz in New Haven to three years of probation for conspiring to commit criminal copyright infringement. Judge Kravitz also ordered MENDEZ to perform 200 hours of community service. This matter stems from a multinational software piracy investigation known as "Operation Higher Education."

On October 24, 2008, MENDEZ pleaded guilty and admitted that, for nearly four years, he was a participant in the "warez scene," an underground online community consisting of individuals and organized groups who engage in the large scale reproduction, modification and distribution of copyrighted software over the internet. In the warez scene, certain participants (known as "suppliers") are able to obtain access to copyrighted software, video games, DVD movies, and MP3 music files, often before those titles are even available to the general public. Other participants, known as "crackers," then use their technical skills to circumvent or "crack" the digital copyright protections. Others, known as "couriers," then distribute the pirated software to various file storage sites ("FTP sites") on the internet for others to access, reproduce, and further distribute. The leading warez groups competed with one another to attain the reputation as the fastest, highest quality providers of pirated materials.

Specifically, MENDEZ was a well-known "supplier" of approximately 100 titles of copyrighted works that subsequently were cracked and uploaded to various FTP servers that distributed pirated software and media in affiliation with several leading warez groups, including "Fairlight." MENDEZ also had privileged access to, and downloaded many pirated works from, various warez sites.

"Operation Higher Education" is the largest component of the global law enforcement action known as "Operation Fastlink," announced by the Department of Justice on April 22, 2004. Twelve nations participated in "Operation Higher Education." The investigation yielded searches and seizures of more 70 high-level targets that were conducted in Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, the Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, the United States, as well as Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

"Operation Higher Education" was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's New Haven office in coordination with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut and the Department of Justice's Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section ("CCIPS"). This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward Chang.

From wired.com:

Defendant Greg Hurley of Orlando, Florida, isn't likely to face time when sentenced later this spring. The 18 defendants sentenced so far under "Operation Safehaven" and "Operation Higher Education" — prosecuted in the U.S. District Court of Connecticut — have received probation, attorneys involved said.

The warez scene consists of underground online communities like "Fairlight," the group in which Hurley, 26, and hundreds of others were members. U.S. law enforcement officials began eying Fairlight more than five years ago. The members were scattered across the nation, but the prosecution was centered in Connecticut.

Fairlight members engaged in the large-scale distribution of copyright works, prosecutors say. "Suppliers," like Hurley, were able to get their hands on commercial software, video games, DVD movies and MP3 music files, often before those titles were available to the public. The suppliers forwarded titles to so-called "crackers," who circumvented digital copy protections.

Others, known as "couriers," distributed the pirated software to a handful of FTP servers with names like "DOH," "Optical Illusion" and "Firesite" for other group members to access, reproduce and further distribute.

Read the entire article on wired.com