Former RISCISO leader faces deportation to the USposted on: Fri, 03 Feb 2006 01:31:56 GMT
Australian police working with the FBI have swooped on the home of a 26-year-old Perth (Western Australian) man who US authorities say is the ringleader of an international underground piracy ring.
Sean O'Toole is alleged to be the leader of a secretive piracy group called RISCISO that the USDJ claims $US 6.5 million worth of stolen copyrighted software, games and movies online.
A spokesman for the Australian Federal Police said officers acting on an FBI request had raided a Mt Pleasant home on Jun 29 last year, seizing computers and documents which were still being analysed.
The spokesman said no charges had been laid in Australia. But Mr O'Toole, who has been indicted in the US on a charge of conspiracy to commit copyright infringement, faces upto five years jail, a $US250,000 fine plus a possible million-dollar restitution claim, if convicted.
The West Australian contacted Mr O'Toole's parents at their Mt Pleasant home. His mother said her son was being victimised by US authorities but would not comment further.
USJD official Patrick Fitzpatrick, in Chicago, said Mr O'Toole was among 19 people from more than 10 countries indicted.
Mr Fitzpatrick said the group was not motivated by profit but created an online library for a restricted number of people to access, containing thousands of titles and software - enough to fill 23,000 compact discs.
