United States v. Broy

209 F. Supp. 3d 1045, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 128616, 2016 WL 5172853
CourtDistrict Court, C.D. Illinois
DecidedSeptember 21, 2016
DocketCase No. 16-cr-10030
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 209 F. Supp. 3d 1045 (United States v. Broy) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, C.D. Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Broy, 209 F. Supp. 3d 1045, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 128616, 2016 WL 5172853 (C.D. Ill. 2016).

Opinion

ORDER

Michael M. Mihm, United States District Judge

This matter is now before the Court on Defendant Braman Broy’s (“Broy”) Motion to Suppress Evidence (ECF No. 12). For the reasons set forth below, Broy’s Motion to Suppress Evidence (ECF No. 12) is DENIED.

Significance of the Present Case

The Court notes the seriousness and complexity of the legal issues in this case and that similar issues are likely to present themselves as technology continues to evolve faster than the law can keep pace. It further recognizes that reasonable jurists can—and have—come to different conclusions on these issues and that district judges will await further guidance from the courts of appeals. The Court suggests readers familiarize themselves with previous cases stemming from the warrant at issue in this case before continuing to read this Order. See, e.g., United States v. Adams, No. 6:16-CR-11-ORL-40GJK, 2016 WL 4212079 (M.D.Fla. Aug. 10, 2016); United States v. Acevedo-Lemus, No. SACR 15-00137-CJC, 2016 WL 4208436 (C.D.Cal. Aug. 8, 2016); United States v. Eure, No. 2:16CR43, 2016 WL 4059663 (E.D.Va. July 28, 2016); United States v. Matish, No. 4:16CR16, 193 F.Supp.3d 585, 2016 WL 3545776 (E.D.Va. June 23, 2016); United States v. Darby, No. 2:16CR36, 190 F.Supp.3d 520, 2016 WL 3189703 (E.D.Va. June 3, 2016); United States v. Werdene, No. CR 15-434, 188 F.Supp.3d 431, 2016 WL 3002376 (E.D.Pa. May 18, 2016); United States v. Levin, No. CR 15-10271-WGY, 186 F.Supp.3d 26, 2016 WL 2596010 (D.Mass. May 5, 2016); United States v. Epich, No. 15-CR-163-PP, 2016 WL 953269 (E.D.Wis. Mar. 14, 2016); United States v. Michaud, No. 3:15-CR-05351-RJB, 2016 WL 337263 (W.D.Wash. Jan. 28, 2016).

Background

Playpen (‘Website A”) was a website whose primary purpose was the advertisement and distribution of child pornography. ECF No. 20 at ¶ 1. Website A operated only on the “Tor” network, an open-source software tool which routes communications through multiple computers [1049]*1049called “nodes” in order to mask a user’s IP address and, thus, keeps the user’s identity anonymous. ECF No. 13 at 1-2. These nodes are run by volunteers throughout the world. ECF No. 15 at 3. In order to use the Tor network, a user must download and run Tor software on his or her personal computer. ECF No. 13 at 2. When first logging into the Tor network, a user, whether knowingly or not, communicates his or her IP address to the first node volunteer. It is only after an IP address has been routed through multiple nodes that a user’s IP address becomes masked. Indeed, when a user finally accesses a website while logged into the Tor network, only the IP address of the “exit node” is visible to that site (and, thus, any law enforcement officials monitoring that site). ECF No. 15 at 3-4. Traditional investigative techniques are therefore ineffective in finding a Tor user’s real IP address. Id. at 4.

Website A was a “hidden service” on the Tor network. Id. at 4. A “hidden service” does not operate like a normal Internet website, where one could find a page by happenstance, such as by entering key terms into a search engine. Id. at 4. Rather, a “hidden service” requires a user to acquire its exact web address from another source, such as another user of that “hidden service” or online postings detailing its web address, before accessing the website. Id. at 4. Thus, it was extremely unlikely anyone could have accessed Website A accidentally.

Website A was hosted on a server in North Carolina and maintained by an administrator in Florida. ECF No. 20 at ¶ 2. In January 2015, FBI agents executed a search warrant and copied the contents of the server. ECF No. 15 at 5. Upon searching the website logs, the FBI determined that a Tor network user with the user-name “maproy99” had accessed several images of child pornography in January 2015. ECF No. 20 at ¶ 16. That username was later traced to Broy. Id. at ¶ 19. Rather than shutting down the server and Website A, the FBI continued to operate both at a government facility in the Eastern District of Virginia. Id. at ¶ 4. The FBI operated the server and Website A between February 20, 2015, and March 4, 2015. Id. at ¶ 4.

Also on February 20, 2015, the FBI obtained from a district judge in the Eastern District of Virginia an order pursuant to Title III of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, which prohibits the government from intercepting private electronic communications without a court order. Id. at ¶ 5. The Title III order permitted the FBI to intercept communications between Website A users. Id. at ¶ 5. On the same day the FBI obtained the order from the district judge, they also obtained from a magistrate judge in the Eastern District of Virginia a warrant which allowed them to implement a Network Investigation Technique (“NIT”) on the Website A server. Id. at ¶ 7. The NIT operated by sending to “activating computers” instructions designed to cause those computers to transmit certain information to a separate government computer, also located in the Eastern District of Virginia. Id. at ¶¶ 9, 12. The warrant authorized the FBI to obtain from an' “activating computer” seven pieces of information: (1) the IP address of the computer and the date and time the NIT determined the IP address; (2) a unique identifier generated by the NIT to distinguish data from one activating computer from that of another; (3) the type of operating system used by the computer; (4) information about whether the NIT had already been delivered to the computer; (5) the computer’s host name; (6) the computer’s operating system username; and (7) the computer’s media access control address. Id. at ¶ 8.

[1050]*1050On February 26, 2015, Broy, under the username maproy99, accessed a post containing child pornography from Website A, at which point the NIT was deployed to the activating computer.1 EOF No. 13 at 3. The NIT, without Broy’s awareness, collected the above-listed information and sent it to the separate government computer in the Eastern District of Virginia. ECF No. 20 at ¶ 12. The unmasked IP address allowed the FBI to determine the physical address of the activating computer, which was ultimately determined to be Broy’s.2 Id. at ¶ 13. It is undisputed that without the use of the NIT, law enforcement would not have been able to identify the IP address connected to Broy. Id. at ¶ 18. On October 19, 2015, the FBI obtained a residential search warrant from United States Magistrate Judge Tom Schanzle-Haskins, a magistrate in the district of Broy’s residence, the Central District of Illinois. Id. at ¶ 20. On October 21, 2015, FBI agents executed that warrant at Broy’s home, where they identified files containing child pornography. Id. at ¶ 20. Broy was subsequently indicted for receipt of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and access with intent to view child pornography. Id. at ¶ 21.

Discussion

Broy argues the execution of the NIT warrant constituted an unreasonable search and seizure under the Fourth Amendment and requires suppression of the evidence to which it led. Specifically, he argues the warrant contravened the Fourth Amendment’s particularity requirement with regard to the place to be searched, rendering it a general warrant.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
209 F. Supp. 3d 1045, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 128616, 2016 WL 5172853, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-broy-ilcd-2016.