NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced the creation of the Cyber Crime Bureau on Tuesday, expanding the office’s efforts to prosecute computer crimes and cyber-enabled offenses.
“Today, cases across the Office from the Trial Division to the Special Victims Division require a high level of cyber expertise,” Bragg said. “Our ability to conduct blockchain analysis, perform forensic analysis on mobile devices, and much more is unique for a local prosecutor’s office, and critical to many of our investigations and prosecutions. With this evolution of the Cyber Crime Bureau, the Manhattan D.A.’s Office continues to lead the way in the investigation and prosecution of complex computer and cyber-enabled crimes.”
The CCB will use complex investigative techniques and focuses on technically sophisticated and other “cutting edge” crimes which involve recent technological innovation and trends, such as the theft of cryptocurrency, SIM-swapping, computer and network intrusions, business email compromises, malware attacks, illicit dark-web vendors, and the use of Artificial Intelligence to facilitate criminal activity.
Recent cases that the CCB was involved in was that of David Olivier, 56, who was indicted on Tuesday for allegedly possessing at least four images of child sexual abuse. The indictment followed an investigation by the CCB, which included blockchain analysis to identify the suspect who accessed and sent Bitcoin to a dark web site that displayed and sold images of child sexual abuse, according to prosecutors.
In August, Michael Lauchlan, 36, was indicted for allegedly stealing from customers of Coin Dispute Network, his fraudulent cryptocurrency asset recovery business, in a case involving extensive blockchain analysis.
CCB has also prosecuted or assisted with investigations involving a major dark web drug trafficking ring, the use of cryptocurrency to provide financial support to terrorist groups operating in Syria, and a $700,000 cryptocurrency investment scheme based out of Nigeria, among many others.