Internet Becomes Instant Crime Stopper

Thanks to a wiretap on the Internet, three people have been arrested for illegally selling and manufacturing cellular phone equipment and electronic devices over the Internet, according to Secret Service agent Brian Gimlett. This is the first time the Secret Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration were allowed to wiretap via the Internet, says Gimlett.

The government followed the case over several months after an AT&T Wireless Services employee reported an ad for the sale of illegal electronic devices on the Net.

Bernhard Bowitz, his wife Rachel, and Gregory Brooks made the devices that included a Lifetime Phone that stores up to 99 stolen Mobile Identification Numbers (MIN) and Electronic Serial Numbers (ESN), a Celltracker that allows callers to eavesdrop on nearby cellular conversations, and a device that allows users to steal MIN/ESN combinations.

The suspects were nabbed after Bowitz exchanged numerous email messages with an undercover agent and sold him the devices in person.

Bowitz neglected to pay his $500,000 bail and is currently being held in jail. His wife has been released on personal bond in Las Vegas, and Brooks will be arraigned next month.