D.Md.: Recorded call about a murder was PC for search of phone for evidence of the call

A recorded telephone call with the defendant allegedly discussing a murder supported probable cause to search his cell phone for evidence of the call. United States v. Worthy, 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 56275 (D. Md. Apr. 2, 2019).

Defendant was accused of computer hacking with a distributed denial of services attack on a “protected computer” for ransom that was linked back to him. A state issued search warrant for his computers was based on probable cause. There was sufficient nexus by inference shown to defendant though the IP addresses of the wireless accounts of others, his proximity to them, and his creating the subject user names just before the attack. “Therefore, in addition to sharing the same phone number, user larned_seller’s address is within only 200 yards, at most, of the location of the wireless access points through which the three other users were accessing the internet. This fact makes it reasonable to infer that all four users are the same individual.” United States v. Golightley, 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 56083 (D. Kan. Apr. 2, 2019).*

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