STATE POLICE RADIO SCHEME

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newsdork

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I THOUGHT THE FOLKS ON THIS FORUM MAY BE INTERESTED IN THIS LITTLE BIT OF NEWS FROM THE MICHIGAN ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE

PRESS RELEASE FROM ATTORNEY GENERAL MIKE COX DECEMBER 17, 2004

"MICHIGAN ATTORNEY GENERAL MIKE COX ANNOUNCED TODAY THAT HE HAS CHARGE FOUR PERSONS WITH PARTICIPATING IN A SCHEME TO OBTAIN AND SELL STOLEN OR ILLEGALLY MANUFACTURED MOTOROLA RADIOS AND TO PROGRAM THOSE RADIOS TO ACCESS THE MSP 800 MHZ RADIO SYSTEM. THE 800 MHZ SYSTEM IS A SECURE PRIVATE RADIO SYSTEM THAT CAN ONLY BE ACCESSED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT OR OTHER PUBLIC SERVICE AGENCIES THAT HAVE BEEN AUTHORIZED TO USE IT."

THE RELEASE CONTINUES,
"THE CHARGES WERE FILED IN THE 61ST DISTRICT COURT IN GRAND RAPIDS. THOSE CHARGED ARE ANDREW JOHN FELDE, 41 , OF GRAND RAPIDS, JAMES EDWARD WERNER, 38, OF ROCKFORD , JAMES BENJAMIN BRUNK, 44 OF CADILLAC AND JERRY LEE FRICK, 63, OF WALKERVILLE"

"THE CHARGES ALLEGE THAT FELDE OBTAINED EITHER STOLEN OR ILLEAGALLY MANUFACTURED MOTOROLA RADIOS. WERNER AND BRUNK, WHO WERE MSP CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES AIDED FELDE IN HIS EFFORTS TO ACCESS THE 800MHZ SYSTEM BY PROVIDING HIM WITH OTHERWISE UNOBTAINABLE COMPUTER SOFTWARE AND TEMPLATES FOR THE RADIOS SO THEY WOULD OPERATE ON THE SYSTEM. FRICK, WHO IS THE CHIEF OF THE WALKERVILLE FIRE DEPT. THEN PURCHASED AT HALF PRICE THREE OF THESES RADIOS FROM FELDE, IN PART WITH GRANT MONEY OBTAINED BY SUBMITTING A FRAUDULENT INVOICE TO MASON/OCEANA 911"

PARAPHRASING THE RELEASE NOW -
FELDE IS CHARGED WITH ONE COUNT OF RECEIVING AND CONCEALING STOLEN PROPERT, ONE COUNT OF FRAUDULENTLY ACCESSING A COMPUTER NETWORK TO OBTAIN BETWEEEN $1K AND $20K AND ONE COUNT OF UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO A COMPUTER NETWORK, ALL ARE FIVE YEAR FELONIES ALSO ONE COUNT OF RECIEVING STOLEN OVER $20K ANDUSING A COMPUTER TO COMMIT A FELONY, BOTH TEN YEAR FELONIES.

WERNER - ONE COUNT EMBEZZLEMENT BY AN AGENT OR TRUSTEE, ONE COUNT FRAUDULANT ACCESS TO NETWORK TO OBTAIN BETWEEN $1K AND $20k AND ONE COUNT OF UNAUTHROIZED ACCESS TO A NETWORK
ALL FIVE YEAR FELONIES

BRUNK - ONE COUNT ACCESSING NETWORK TO OBTAIN AND ONE COUNT UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO A NETWORK, BOTH FIVE YEAR FELONIES

FRICK ONE COUNT OF UTTERING AND PUBLISHING , A FOURTEEN YEAR FELONY AND ONE COUTN OF MISCONDUCT IN OFFICE, A FIVE YEAR FELONY
 

rdale

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So they could have purchased a scanner for $500, yet instead decided to buy Mot radios on the taxpayer dime instead?!? A little more pricey in the end ;>
 

KB8UYC

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:?: :?: :?

Perhaps he should tell us where he found that infomation out. I tried to do a search on it all. I tried different words in his story and I found nothing.....

Provide us the Link to the story, if it is a true story you will know where you got it from...........

Eric
 

newsdork

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WHERE I GOT IT.

Normally it would be against my nature and training to give up my source, however, in this instance...

This was a press release from the AG's office that crossed the fax at about 4:45 pm Friday December, 16, 2004.

Why am I in receipt of it before it is on the AG's website ? That question would have to be answered by someone in Cox's office. I thought the members of this forum would be interested and so I shared with y'all, almost verbatim, the contents of this news release. There was no hyperlink to a fax on my desk to provide. You will also find the story in today's GR Press.

My question now is what were these guys thinking?
 

johnvassel

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I have to believe this isnt exactly as quoted. Sound more to me like one guy 'comes across' (perhaps illegally) these radios, a few buddies offer to help him out, and the chief says 'sure, I'd like to listen to that'.
Otherwise, I just dont see the gain. I suppose to me, the real story lies in , were they being used for illegal or for gain purposes?
And just where and how were they stolen?
Lots of info yet to come before it sounds like the press release wants it to.

john
 

johnvassel

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mdulrich said:
Sounds like they were USING the radios and not for monitoring.

Mike

Actually, reading between the lines, it sounds like they have newer authorized radios for this system, and had looked to boost their inventory with these 'illegally manufactured' motorola radios. Since when has motorola illegally manufactured radios?

john

(FWIW, I had been approached by someone asking that I program their FD radio with their works frequency. I explained that while the radio was capable of operating there, it was imperative that they get approval before introducing a new radio to their work system. I suspect this case is something similar to that)
 

seamusg

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The part I like is:
"Frick then bought three of the radios at half-price, Cox said, in part with grant money by submitting a fraudulent invoice to a local 911 system."
 

k4wtf

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I think this is MUCH more a case of the fraud rather than the "illegal access"... Those charges were most likely levied against them to add weight to the indictments.

It wouldn't take too much to get expert witness testimony to educate the jury and the court that the same thing (eavesdropping) can be done with a much less expensive scanner, even on a P25 system.

These guys really were stupid though. All they had to do was ask and they most likely would have been granted access to the systems for the radios they were using. Programming up a "bandit" radio ID on a PS system is never a terribly bright idea.
 
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