I've read maybe ten articles/stories about the busts, so this is what I think happened. Can anyone confirm/deny?
- FBI Undercover Agent Griffen makes two California Gigabit Top Sites: LAD and CHUD
- Chirayu Patel (Dact), a member of Boozers, becomes a SiteOp on LAD and CHUD which both are hosted in Fremont, CA (probably at Hurricane Electric)
- Because Patel is a member of Boozers, he got major groups (Centropy, TDA) to affil to these two topsites
- FBI collected IPs of some of the top warez/piracy providers.
- FBI was able to get Patel's address because he was stupid enough to send them some pirated DVDs via mail and gave his return address on the envelope
- Centropy leader (who supposedly goes by the IRC alias of both marvel and cartel) was busted in Indiana/Illinois. TDA leader was also busted
- Centropy is supposedly gone/done for. The Herbie release was on the server pre'd and someone modified the .nfo
A lot of people are blaming Patel because he is the guy who got everyone to afill at the two FBI topsites (which were run for a good year or so)
What's weird is that there is this series called, The Scene is a series about a fake ripping group involved in piracy. In episode 9 (the latest episode which debuted Early June), there is a mysterious IRC character named Gryffin and when the character is mentioned, the music in the background goes, "He works for the FBI."
Coincidence?