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Press Release

Indictment: Man Behind Cyberattacks Was Working for Wichita Lawyer

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Kansas

WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita lawyer and a computer software engineer were charged today in a federal indictment alleging they were responsible for cyberattacks on web sites that posted information critical of the lawyer’s work, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

Wichita Attorney Bradley A. Pistotnik, 62, and David Dorsett, 36, Wichita, Kan., are charged with five counts of computer fraud and two counts of conspiracy. In addition, Pistotnik is charged with three counts of making false statements to the FBI.

The indictment alleges Pistonik and Dorsett are responsible for cyberattacks on Leagle.com, Ripoffreport.com and JaburgWilk.com. The indictment alleges Dorsett filled the web site’s in-boxes with threats.

One of the emails read: “Remove this page and we stop” and “if you don’t remove it we will begin targeting your advertisers and explain that this will stop happening to them once they pull their ads from leagle.com or leagle.com kills this page.”

The indictment alleges that when an FBI agent questioned Pistotnik he made false statements including:

    • Pistotnik claimed Dorsett told him about a negative posting on Riffoffreport.com and offered to remove it. In fact, Pistotnik told Dorsett about the negative posting and said to Dorsett, “tell me how to get rid of it.”
    • Pistotnik claimed that it was a week after Dorsett told him the negative posting had been removed that an attorney for Ripoffreport.com contacted him. In fact, the company’s attorney contacted Pistotnik during the attack and before Pistotnik paid Dorsett for his services.
    • Pistotnik claimed he received two emails from Dorsett relating to the attack on Ripoffreport. In fact, he received four such emails, including an invoice for the attack and one referencing the invoice as well as the method used to make the attack.

 

Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:

          Computer fraud: Up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.

          Conspiracy: Up to 10 years and a fine up to

$250,000.

          Making false statements: Up to five years and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.

          The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting.

 

OTHER INDICTMENTS

 

In a superseding indictment that adds three new counts, Shane M. Gaskill, 20, Wichita, Kan., is charged with two additional counts of wire fraud and one additional count of making a false statement to the FBI.

On May 23, an indictment was unsealed charging Gaskill with count of obstruction of justice, one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice and one count of wire fraud. The indictment alleged co-defendant Casey Viner recruited co-defendant Tyler Barriss to make a false call to emergency dispatchers in Wichita aimed at “swatting” Gaskill. As a result, Wichita police responded to what they believed was an emergency involving a fatal shooting at 1033 McCormick.

The new counts allege that after police responded to 1033 McCormick, Gaskill sent two more messages to Barriss. One said: “Do you wanna try again?” In the other message, Gaskill gave Barriss an IP address Gaskill claimed Barriss could use to launch another swatting assault on him. The indictment alleges the IP address did not belong to Gaskill, and Gaskill knew it was not his IP address. Further, it is alleged that when Gaskill was questioned by law enforcement about daring Barriss to “try again” and giving Barriss an IP address, Gaskill falsely told the officer that the IP address was one of his “old” IP addresses. In fact, the IP address belonged to another person in Kansas.

Upon conviction, the new counts carry the following penalties:

          Wire fraud: Up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.

          Making a false statement to the FBI: Up to five years and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.

The FBI and the Wichita Police Department investigated. U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister and Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Barnett are prosecuting.

 

**

 

Michael D. Golightley, 34, Larned, Kan., is charged with seven counts of damaging a protected computer and one count of threatening to damage a protected computer. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in March 2017 in Ellis County, Kan.

The indictment alleges Golightley hired an entity known as DDosCity to carry out a series of denial-of-service attacks against computers served by an internet service provider called Nex-Tec. Nex-Tec provided backup and monitoring Service for Ellis County’s Emergency Medical Service administrative voice lines, Russell County’s hospital voice lines, the Quinter hospital’s voice lines, the Grove County Sheriff’s administrative voice lines, the Russell County Sheriff’s administrative voice lines and the administrative voice lines for the police and fire departments of Russell County.

The indictment alleges Golightley sent an e-mail to Nex-Tec stating: “Take down my ad again when my description doesn’t violate copyright (and) I will violate this site by bringing it offline.”

If convicted, he faces up to five years and a fine up to $250,000 on each of the counts. The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger is prosecuting.

 

**

Christian Delgado-Lopez, 29, Dana Point, Calif., is charged with possessing with intent to distribute more than 29 pounds of methamphetamine. The crime is alleged to have occurred June 5, 2018 in Meade County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces not less than 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $10 million. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley Rodebaugh is prosecuting.

 

**

In a superseding indictment, Bogdana Alexandrovna Mobley, 37, a citizen of Russia, is charged with four new counts alleging she made threats to her ex-husband in an attempt to extort money from him.

In October 2017 Mobley was indicted on a charge of international kidnapping. The indictment alleged her ex-husband had full legal custody of her two youngest children when she unlawfully took the children to Russia. According to court records, in Skype conversations with her ex-husband she told him to give her money if he wanted to talk to the children.

 If convicted on the additional counts, she faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting.

 

**

Nelson B. Tolentino-Alas, 41, a citizen of El Salvador, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being convicted of an aggravated felony and deported. He was found June 22, 2018, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Barnett is prosecuting.

Lilia Urquidez-Sanchez, 24, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being convicted of an aggravated felony and deported. He was found June 19, 2018, in Gray County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Barnett is prosecuting.

 

**

Elias Castro-Coj, 42, a citizen of Guatemala, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being convicted of an aggravated felony and deported. He was found March 3, 2018, in Stanton County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Barnett is prosecuting.

 

**

Eric Staal, 23, Wichita, Kan., is charged in a superseding indictment with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana. The crimes are alleged to have occurred April 28, 2018, in Butler County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces not less than 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $10 million on the methamphetamine charge and up to five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the marijuana charge. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Rodebaugh is prosecuting.

 

**

Daniel Wayne Woydziak, 33, Wichita, Kan., is charged in a superseding indictment with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction and one count of unlawful possession of ammunition following a felony conviction. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in February and June 2018 in Sedgwick County, Kan.

 

If convicted, he faces not less than five years and not more than 40 years and a fine up to $5 million on the methamphetamine charge, and up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each firearm count. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Rodebaugh is prosecuting.

**

Staci Holtsclaw, 34, Wichita, Kan., and Randy Southern, 22, Wichita, Kan, are charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and three counts of unlawful possession of firearms following a felony conviction. The crimes are alleged to have occurred May 5, 2018, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, they face not less than 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $10 million on the methamphetamine charge and up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each firearm count. The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Rodebaugh is prosecuting.

 

 

**

 

Alfredo Nino-Cruz, 29, a citizen of Mexico, is charged in a superseding indictment with one count of unlawfully re-entering the United States after being convicted of an aggravated felony and deported (count one), three counts of bank fraud (counts two, four and six), three counts of aggravated identity theft (counts three, five and seven), one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction (count eight), one count of unlawful possession of ammunition following a felony conviction (count nine) and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a person unlawfully in the United States (count 10).

 

Upon conviction, crimes carry the following penalties:

          Count one: Up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.

          Counts two, four and six: Up to 30 years and a fine up to $1 million.

          Counts three, five and seven: A mandatory two years (consecutive).

          Counts eight, nine and 10: Up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.

The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch is prosecuting.

 

**

 

Amanda Patrick, 32, Haysville, Kan., is charged with one count of theft by a postal employee. It is alleged she stole a gift card and cash from the mail. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in December 2017 and May 2018 in Sedgwick County, Kan.

 

If convicted, she faces up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The U.S. Postal Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger is prosecuting.

 

In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.

Updated August 1, 2018

Topic
Cybercrime
Component