The U.S. government has a long history of using unconventional informants in its ongoing effort to catch crooks. Many times, those sources end up being criminals themselves, as a recent federal case clearly highlights.
This week, Forbes reported that a Los Angeles hairdresser was arrested for attempting to orchestrate the murder of a Louisiana man. Authorities say Julia Coda used the online pseudonym “Bonfire” and funneled $10,000 in bitcoin to a dark web hit man site in an effort to procure an assassin. According to police, Coda accused him of having kidnapped her niece and wanted her would-be victim to seem like he accidentally overdosed on drugs. Gizmodo has viewed the federal indictment against the suspect, which accuses her of using interstate commerce facilities (aka the internet) in the commission of a murder-for-hire.
But the strangest part of this tale is less the bloodthirsty plot itself than how the bureau initially became aware of it. The government has admitted that it received a tip about “Bonfire” from a longtime Department of Homeland Security source that also happens to be a foreign cybercriminal who was formerly convicted of crimes involving child sexual abuse material. Forbes writes that the hacker, who is not named in court documents—and is only identified as an “HSI source”—has worked for the government since 2018 under what is called a “proffer agreement.” Such agreements don’t involve an exchange of money but instead rely on a legal contract outlining how a defendant will provide useful information in exchange for lenient treatment.
Unfortunately for “Bonfire,” Forbes writes that the site that she visited was a scam. Indeed, most “hit man websites” are thought to be fakes purely designed to bilk bloodthirsty dark web patrons out of crypto. Even more problematically, the website in question had been hacked by the government-linked cybercriminal-turned-informant. Having previously compromised the site used to procure the fake hit, the HSI source was able to deliver intel about the plot to U.S. authorities.
The FBI has stressed that it developed a pretty strong case against Coda independent of the hacker’s initial tip. Authorities say Coda used her own Coinbase account to transfer the $10k in bitcoin payments to the hit man website. Using crypto-tracing technology, police were swiftly able to track the digital payments back to her account. Quite amazingly, Forbes writes that Coda set up the Coinbase account using her real name, making it quite easy for cops to identify her as the prime suspect in the case.
The U.S. government has a long history of using unconventional informants in its ongoing effort to catch crooks. Many times, those sources end up being criminals themselves, as a recent federal case clearly highlights.
This week, Forbes reported that a Los Angeles hairdresser was arrested for attempting to orchestrate the murder of a Louisiana man. Authorities say Julia Coda used the online pseudonym “Bonfire” and funneled $10,000 in bitcoin to a dark web hit man site in an effort to procure an assassin. According to police, Coda accused him of having kidnapped her niece and wanted her would-be victim to seem like he accidentally overdosed on drugs. Gizmodo has viewed the federal indictment against the suspect, which accuses her of using interstate commerce facilities (aka the internet) in the commission of a murder-for-hire.
But the strangest part of this tale is less the bloodthirsty plot itself than how the bureau initially became aware of it. The government has admitted that it received a tip about “Bonfire” from a longtime Department of Homeland Security source that also happens to be a foreign cybercriminal who was formerly convicted of crimes involving child sexual abuse material. Forbes writes that the hacker, who is not named in court documents—and is only identified as an “HSI source”—has worked for the government since 2018 under what is called a “proffer agreement.” Such agreements don’t involve an exchange of money but instead rely on a legal contract outlining how a defendant will provide useful information in exchange for lenient treatment.
Unfortunately for “Bonfire,” Forbes writes that the site that she visited was a scam. Indeed, most “hit man websites” are thought to be fakes purely designed to bilk bloodthirsty dark web patrons out of crypto. Even more problematically, the website in question had been hacked by the government-linked cybercriminal-turned-informant. Having previously compromised the site used to procure the fake hit, the HSI source was able to deliver intel about the plot to U.S. authorities.
The FBI has stressed that it developed a pretty strong case against Coda independent of the hacker’s initial tip. Authorities say Coda used her own Coinbase account to transfer the $10k in bitcoin payments to the hit man website. Using crypto-tracing technology, police were swiftly able to track the digital payments back to her account. Quite amazingly, Forbes writes that Coda set up the Coinbase account using her real name, making it quite easy for cops to identify her as the prime suspect in the case.