To understand the specifics of this case, below we have quoted directly from the Petitioner’s Brief:

This case concerns the constitutionality of geofence warrants. For cell phone users to use certain services, their cell phones must continuously transmit their exact locations to their service providers. A geofence warrant allows law enforcement to obtain, from the service provider, the identities of users who were in the vicinity of a particular location at a particular time. In this case, law enforcement obtained, and served on Google, a geofence warrant seeking anonymized location data for every device within 150 meters of the location of a bank robbery within one hour of the robbery. After Google returned an initial list, law enforcement sought— without seeking an additional warrant—information about the movements of certain devices for a longer, two-hour period, and Google complied with that request as well. Then—again without seeking an additional warrant—law enforcement requested de anonymized subscriber information for three devices. One of those devices belonged to petitioner Okello Chatrie. Based on the evidence derived from the geofence warrant, petitioner was convicted of armed robbery.

The last time the Supreme Court wrestled with cell phone privacy issues was in Carpenter v. United States, 585 U.S. 296 (2018), which is a landmark United States Supreme Court case concerning the privacy of historical cell site location information. The Court held in that case that the government violates the Fourth Amendment when accessing historical cell phone Iocation records containing the physical locations of cellphones without a search warrant. That case, however, was after a suspect was identified, making it unlike the current case before the Supreme Court.

We receive terabytes of data in discovery for our cases. Motions to suppress can be filed for all of the data seized from search warrants of phones. We are cognizant of the ever changing landscape of Fourth Amendment case law. We ensure that law enforcement follows the appropriate procedures for every single case. Contact us now if you have a case you would like to discuss.

Recently, the Department of Justice highlighted enforcement efforts that allegedly aimed at protecting  Americans from transnational fraud schemes.  Here are some of the cases discussed:

United States v. Troy Murray and United States v. Cutter Murray. On June 11, 2025, DOJ’s Consumer Protection Branch filed an Information in SDFL charging Troy Murray also known as “Steve Dixson” with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. According to court documents, Troy Murray sold to lottery fraud scammers, including Jamaicans, his lead list database containing the names, and personal information of over seven million elderly American consumers. These lists were allegedly then used to defraud elderly victims. Additionally, Cutter Murray, Troy Murray’s son, will plead guilty to one count of money laundering for receiving and then laundering $1.6 million of the fraudulent funds Troy Murray obtained.

United States v. Jimmy Smith. On April 1, 2025 the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut announced charges against Jimmy Smith, 30, a citizen of Jamaica, who resided in Hinesville, Georgia. According to court documents, Smith and others defrauded at least four victims residing in Connecticut, New York, Texas, and California, by telling them they had won a Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes and needed to pay taxes or money to claim the prize.

United States v. Charles Uchenna Nwadavid. On April 9, the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the District of Massachusetts announced charges against Charles Uchenna Nwadavid, a citizen of Nigeria who was arrested after landing at the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. In January 2024, a grand jury indicted Nawadavid on one count of mail fraud and two counts of money laundering. Between approximately 2016 to September 2019, Nwadavid allegedly participated in romance scams that tricked victims into sending money abroad.  He plead guilty to mail fraud, aiding and abetting money laundering and money laundering on June 26, 2025.  The DOJ states “romance schemes”  generally begin when the “bad actors” recruit victims through advertisements for online relationships on dating or social media websites. Individuals perpetuating romance scams often create fictitious profiles and then use them to gain victims’ trust through a purported romantic relationship. Perpetrators then direct their victims to send money or to conduct financial transactions involving other victims’ money under false pretenses, such as an urgent need for money to secure a multi-million dollar inheritance or to pay for an unexpected hospitalization.

Another romance scheme can involve investing in cryptocurrency. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio (USAO) has filed a civil complaint in forfeiture against 8,207,578 Tether (USDT) cryptocurrency, valued at more than $8.2 million in February, 2025.   In that case, investigators found that scammers initially contacted the victims through seemingly misdirected, or “wrong number,” text messages. The fraudster then gained the victim’s trust and affection using various manipulative tactics. Once trust was established with the victim, the fraudster would share how much success they, or someone they knew, had with investing in cryptocurrency. This personal testimonial lessened any uncertainties the victims may have had about virtual currencies and eventually had the intended effect to persuade the victim to proceed with the investment.

The fraudster would then guide the victim, step-by-step, on how to open a legitimate cryptocurrency account, most often with a U.S. based virtual currency exchange such as Crypto.com or Coinbase. The scammer would walk the victim through the entire process of transferring money from their bank to the newly created cryptocurrency account. Next, the victim received instructions on how to transfer the purchased cryptocurrency assets to an online “investment platform,” which would turn out to be a fake site created by the fraudsters to look like a legitimate company. Information on the platforms promised lucrative returns which encouraged victims to invest further. However, once the victim transferred their funds to the “investment platform” they unknowingly handed over complete control and ownership of their funds to the scammer.  These fake cryptocurrency trading platforms or fake versions of official crypto wallets to trick unsuspecting victims. These fake websites usually have similar but slightly different domain names from the sites they attempt to mimic.

The complaint also outlines that the perpetrators of such investment fraud schemes often allow victims to withdraw a portion of their “profits” early on in the scheme to build trust and reinforce their belief that the “investment platform” was legitimate. But as the scheme progressed, victims were unable to withdraw their funds and given excuses as to why they could not access their funds. For example, the fraudsters referred to a fake “tax” requirement, stating that taxes must be paid on the proceeds generated from the investment platform. Knowing that the scam would run its course soon, the fraudsters used last-ditch efforts to lie to victims that they had to pay a tax. Ultimately, victims were locked out of their account on the investment platform and lost their funds.

A woman in Lake County, Ohio became the target of such a scam when she responded to a text on her phone from an unknown number in November 2023. She began sharing information via text with the person and the two bonded over topics such as hobbies and religion. Over a period of time, the victim followed instructions from her new “friend” and opened an account at Crypto.com and then transferred funds into the account. When the victim wanted to withdraw funds, her “friend,” relented and said additional payments were needed and she complied. When the victim no longer had any funds left after making additional payments, her “friend” began to threaten her that he would send his friends to “take care of” her friends and family. Having lost her entire life savings of approximately $663,352, including funds from her Roth IRA, the victim filed a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center to report the losses in June 2024. The FBI Cleveland Division subsequently initiated an investigation.

United States v. 679,981.22 Tether, et al. On June 3, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio announced the filing of a civil forfeiture complaint against 679,981.22 in the Tether cryptocurrency suspected of being fraudulently obtained as part of a romance/investment scam. According to court documents, one victim was targeted via LinkedIn and another victim was targeted though the dating App “Coffee Meets Bagel.”

The experienced federal criminal defense attorneys at Conaway & Strickler, PC are here to protect your rights, reputation, and future should you be under investigation. With decades of experience in defending traditional financial fraud paired with a deep understanding of the newer world of cryptocurrency, our firm possesses the skills and expertise to assist those accused of any type of fraud.  Call or contact us online for a confidential consultation.

On March 10, 2022, Garland announced Associate Deputy Attorney General Kevin Chambers as the Director For Covid-19 Fraud Enforcement.

In August, 2022, President Biden signed laws that give the Department of Justice and other federal agencies more time to investigate and prosecute Covid-19 fraud. It extended the statute of limitations for fraud charges involving PPP and EIDL fraud to ten years.

And on September 14, 2022, the DOJ announced the establishment of three Strike Force teams created to enhance the Department’s existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related fraud. The Strike Force teams will operate out of U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Southern District of Florida, the District of Maryland, and a joint effort between the Central and Eastern Districts of California.

Concerned about PPP loan or EIDL loan fraud investigations? Our firm has represented both companies and individuals facing questions from the bank or investigators. Please contact us before interacting with any investigators or agents.

So what to do to prepare? Some obvious first steps are educating employees on cyber safety measures, making sure emails are encrypted, ensuring cyber insurance is up to date and becoming familiar with your company’s assets. You want to have a procedure and plan written ahead of time.

With all of this going on, the US Attorney’s office increased its prosecutions of individuals of white collar crimes in the year 2021. White collar charges like fraud, theft, corruption, bribery, environmental crime, tax fraud, health care fraud, procurement fraud, money laundering, PPP loan fraud, etc will continue to get more attention from the Department of Justice.

What does this mean? It means that investigations of any sort need to be taken seriously and that you should contact a lawyer immediately if any wrongdoing is alleged.

Conaway & Strickler, PC has a long history of handling fraud cases of all varieties and is well equipped at fighting the DOJ in their overzealous prosecutions. Please feel free to contact us so that we can help you avoid future headaches.

As chair of the Cyber Crime committee at iTechlaw, Meg Strickler gives her insight on data breaches from various perspectives on an iTechlaw webinar this week. She and the other panelists discuss:

1. The criminal charge of BEC (Business email compromise) fraud
2. Representing a victim of BEC
3. Theft of trade secrets
4. Representing a victim of theft of trade secrets by a disgruntled employee or insider
5. Protecting small companies from potential hacks/ data breaches
6. Contacting law enforcement after a hack/breach
7. Commencing civil litigation in an attempt at restitution
8. Aggravated identity theft
9. Protection of PII
10. Cyber insurance

Please watch here: https://lnkd.in/gjHgVWt

According to a special agent in charge of the new investigation unit, cybercrime costs the state of Georgia at least $38 million per year. However, that estimate could be severely low.

Misleading numbers

The GBI special agent explains that reports of cybercrime statewide represent only a fraction of offenses that actually occur. There were 461 reported cybercrimes in 2017, including phishing, pharming, smishing and vishing.

However, if GBI estimates are accurate, for every one of those crimes for which the Bureau receives a report and conducts an investigation, there are at least six that go unreported. If this is true, then the $38 million figure for losses to the state due to cybercrime could be seven times too small.

Most common crime

Many of the offenses that the new cyber unit is investigating involve the alleged theft of business or personal information related to finances. About 90% of those cases involve a phishing scheme via email. The alleged victim receives an email with the appearance of a legitimate communication from a trusted source.

Sometimes, the emails contain malicious software that sends information about the victim back to the sender. Other times, the alleged victim, lulled into a false sense of security by the email’s professional appearance, enters the requested information by hand, unwittingly providing financial data to an alleged thief.

Many times, the phishing email will use the logos and branding of a real company with which the alleged victim already does business. Therefore, the alleged offense goes by the name of business email compromise and represents some of the costliest cybercrimes in the state.

Additionally, law enforcement officers sometimes overstep their bounds. At Conaway and Strickler, P.C., we make it our mission to ensure that our clients’ rights are protected. One of the ways we do this is by performing our own investigations.

There is an old saying it goes something along the lines of “what is good for one is good for the other.” We make a point of employing equal or superior techniques to state and federal agencies during our own examinations of the facts. We see this as the minimum requirement for a successful case.

Investigations are important because, by the time online stalking, child pornography, cyber warfare or other cybercrime arrests happen, the state usually already has a significant head start. Many arrests are the result of extended surveillance and investigation.

We believe that the court deserves to know exactly how any evidence was gathered and if those methods put our clients’ rights in danger. Investigations often risk heading into gray areas of civil rights and criminal law by misleading people or collecting evidence in unconventional manners.

Your arrest would be a serious wake-up call, but you should think twice if anyone tells you that it is the end of the road. Police officers, federal investigators and state attorneys often provide a pessimistic perspective that suits their goals: getting you the maximum penalty available. Only a thorough review of all the evidence — not someone’s biased prediction — will provide a realistic outlook.

Cybercrime charges are serious, but you should not let them intimidate you. Get the facts first. For more information, please continue reading on our main website.

FindLaw discusses how teenagers, especially, participate in producing, possessing and distributing child pornography without even realizing it. Both teenage girls and boys take selfies of a sexual nature and send it to their boyfriend/girlfriend. This, in and of itself, in many states constitutes child pornography. If the receiver of the picture then forwards it on to others, this can become an even bigger issue. Once a sexually explicit picture passes state or international borders, it becomes a federal offense. Every person who is in possession of the selfie can potentially face charges for child pornography.

Some may argue that purposely taking a naked photo of oneself and sending it to someone else is anyone’s right and it falls under the First Amendment. However, the United States Department of Justice reports that there is not protection regarding child pornography images and that they are illegal. In contrast to what some may believe, child pornography pictures do not have to depict a minor participating in sexual activity or acting against his or her will.

The United States takes cases of child pornography seriously, and convicted offenders can face numerous consequences such as mandatory prison time and fines. This is in addition to any possible state convictions. Due to the severity of the crime, children and minors need to think twice before taking an incriminating selfie and sending it to someone else.

Some interesting research that examined what the future of cybersecurity is going to look like, uncovered some interesting facts that may help people to better understand the risks they are facing. One development that businesses may notice is the incorporation of highly trained, often-retired military members who have experience in working with cybersecurity, being hired to take leading roles in providing security in the virtual world. They may also notice an increase in roles such as that of a security data scientist who will analyze data and its utilization in discovering ways to protect it without constricting its use.

In an ever-growing business world, applications as a resource for optimizing transactions between consumers and companies, as well as between business-to-business, will continue to provide assistance in revolutionizing how business is done. However, thoroughly implemented security measures will be critical so long as applications are in use. Another development will be the way that social contracts are leveraged. While they will still be widely used, they may begin to include cybersecurity agreements as a way to solidify promises between data systems and humans.

Because cybercrime will never go away, businesses will benefit from implementing measures that will better protect information that is important to them. An attorney may be able to provide support as businesses strive to keep confidential information out of the wrong hands.

Source: Forbes, “Cybersecurity’s Evolution: How It May Look Over The Next Few Years,” Joseph Feiman, Jul. 10, 2019

Unfortunately, some people may not realize that certain behaviors on their phone constitute an illegal offense. Moreover, someone may find themselves in this position even though they were not aware of any wrongdoing. For example, someone may let their friend borrow their phone, or another person may use their phone to carry out an illegal act without their knowledge. After all, it can be difficult to keep track of a phone at all times, and many people bring their phones with them to restaurants, bars and other settings.

Whether you have been accused of an online offense involving your phone or a personal computer, it is crucial to prepare for your case and realize how much may be at stake. These charges could disrupt your future in many different ways and completely shatter your reputation. We cover all sorts of issues related to cybercrime charges across our website.

Revenge porn charges can lead to a number of harsh consequences. Those charged with breaking this law may face financial penalties and even time behind bars. For example, someone who is accused of sharing revenge porn again after they have been charged with this offense in the past may be sentenced to prison. Aside from the legal repercussions of revenge porn charges, one’s reputation may be completely destroyed. This could cause problems for them in regard to their career, and it may also cause personal relationships to fall apart.

If you have been accused of illegally sharing revenge porn, it is important to have a solid understanding of your legal options and figure out how to move forward. You should be aware of the potentially serious consequences you could face and try to identify the best way to handle this situation. Our cybercrime page has more related to revenge porn charges.

If you have been accused of online harassment, it is pivotal to immediately go over your legal options, the ins and outs of the alleged incident(s) and the best course of action. Your future may be at stake, whether you run the risk of losing your job as a result of these allegations or you face serious penalties. If you are the parent of a teen who has been accused of cyber harassment, for example, it is equally important to protect their future by carefully examining the situation and exploring the legal options that may be on the table. Many teens have been falsely accused of harassment by a former friend or an enemy at school.

The consequences of these charges are not to be taken lightly and the outcome of an online harassment case could have a significant impact on your future. We cover other issues concerning this area of law on our blog.

Cyberbullying is a perfect example of this. While there certainly instances of adults bullying other adults online, cyberbullying is a problem typically associated with children and teens. Indeed, information compiled by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services shows that 15 percent of high school students report being bullied via electronic media. Teens and tweens might mistakenly believe that whatever they post on social media platforms, send through emails or communicate through instant or text messages is always viewed as being perfectly innocent given that disconnectedness of the medium of the Internet empowers them to say things that they do not actually mean.

Yet from the perspective of the state of Georgia, cyberbullying is akin to stalking. Section 16.5.90 of the state’s Crimes and Offenses Code classifies stalking as “follows, places under surveillance, or contacts another person at or about a place or places without the consent of the other person for the purpose of harassing and intimidating the other person.” Recent years have seen the state include communications via computer to qualify as “contact” under this statute. Youths who face cyberbullying charges must prove a lack of harassing intent in their online communications.

As stated on its official site, the FBI sees national and international cybersecurity investigations as falling within its jurisdiction. This wide focus, combined with the various federal laws governing interstate crime, often means that prosecutors may attempt to direct cybercrime cases to federal courts.

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However, there are various specific situations surrounding actual internet crime allegations. There are also many different categories of crimes. Here is a selection of different offenses that might occur over the internet.

One common cyber-crime allegation involves the production of non-consensual or child pornography. Prosecutors often bring this particular charge in association with cases of extortion. In addition to sensitive photos, private information may also be a factor. As indicated in the Cyber Misbehavior Report from the Department of Justice, this type of accusation may also be linked to charges of domestic violence due to alleged psychological harm.

The DOJ also lists several other types of misbehavior, including cyber threats stalking and harassment. The federal statute on various crimes, including cyberstalking, threats, and computer hacking may apply in various situations.

Investigations into these matters by the FBI and joint state task forces often uncover a great deal of highly technical evidence. Where, how and if this information is applicable to a certain situation depends on the location of the alleged actions, on the way the evidence was collected and on various other factors. Therefore almost all details, including venue charges and potential consequences, should typically be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Someone who has been accused of an online offense may lose their job as a result of the allegations, or their spouse may decide to leave them. Their standing in the community may be tarnished and they may even find that some of their friends have abandoned them as well. Unfortunately, even some people who have been falsely accused of these offenses have to endure these hardships due to the harsh stigma of cybercrimes.

From online crimes that involve theft and fraud to those which involve unlawful pornography, there are many different offenses carried out through technology. In the digital age, people are especially familiar with some of these offenses and they can be very damaging to one’s reputation. If you have been accused of any type of online or computer-related offense, it is crucial to protect your rights. You should realize the different ways in which your life may be impacted in the present and future.

Your career could be adversely affected by a cybercrime case in many different ways. First of all, you may be unable to find work in a particular field, especially if it involves technology or anything related to your case. For example, if the crime was financial in nature, you may be unable to work in the finance sector in certain capacities. Not only can you lose your current job but finding a new position may be impossible, which underlines the importance of figuring out how to approach your cybercrime case correctly.

Some people are unsure of where to begin when they are struggling with a cybercrime case, and they may have little hope that their side of the story will be taken seriously. However, the consequences of an unfavorable end result can be devastating, and it is imperative to have a comprehensive understanding of all your options before moving forward.

Online invasion of privacy is recognized as being a serious form of cybercrime. Indeed, in Section 19-9-91 of Georgia’s Code of Crimes and Offenses, it is recognized that internet crime can have a far deeper and more damaging impact than other forms of white collar criminal activity. Because of this potential, authorities may be more apt to apply invasion of privacy reasoning in justification for bringing criminal charges against you. Your best answer to such claims may be to cite the specific examples of such activity to see if your actions qualify.

The most obvious form of online invasion of privacy is an intrusion of solitude. This occurs when one invades one’s privacy when there is a reasonable expectation of solitude (such as you observing another on a camera or video feed). Other less common examples include:

• The appropriation of one’s name or likeness
• The public disclosure of private fact
• Portraying someone in a false light

The common thread amongst these crimes is a lack of consent on the part of an alleged victim to have their information shared. Thus, should you stand accused of such a crime, having a detailed record showing the agreement on the use of such information between you and your accuser can help you in answering claims if misuse.

When an adult faces charges over allegedly harassing another person over the internet, their good reputation could be damaged, sometimes beyond repair (at least in certain circles). They may have a great deal of anxiety over legal matters and be completely unaware of their legal rights. Worse, some of these cases are the result of completely baseless allegations, which may be the result of a former boyfriend or girlfriend trying to get even or some other situation which involves revenge.

Some people may also feel that they have been bullied or harassed in a way which violates the law even though no laws were even broken. There are all sorts of different legal aspects of a case to consider and every single one is different. As a result, if you have been charged with cyberbullying as an adult, it is vital to go over your case from an individualized perspective.