Denver Feds Launch Cybercrime Unit Amid Rising Dark Web Exploitation

DENVER – The feds in Colorado just upped the ante in the digital war. Acting U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer announced today the creation of the Cybercrime and National Security Section within the Colorado U.S. Attorney’s Office. Six Assistant United States Attorneys will now be dedicated to chasing down cyber-enabled crimes and threats to national security – and the numbers tell a grim story.

This isn’t just about hackers anymore. The new section will tackle everything from network intrusions and ransomware to the increasingly murky world of digital currency used to fuel serious crime. A dedicated Digital Currency Crimes Coordinator has been added to the team, recognizing that criminals are getting smarter, hiding their tracks in dark-net forums and exploiting the anonymity of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. The office recently snagged a cyber-dedicated Assistant U.S. Attorney, bolstering their already existing cyber specialists, a national security cyber coordinator, and an anti-terrorism coordinator.

The caseload is already substantial. The office points to several high-profile cases they’ve already handled: U.S. v. Rezendez, involving a large-scale distributed denial of service attack; U.S. v. Bourret, et al., a computer intrusion case that compromised nearly two million online accounts; and U.S. v. Snowden, a prosecution centering on economic espionage and trade secret theft. But the most disturbing increases are in child exploitation cases. U.S. v. Hugo, a case involving the production of child pornography involving multiple children, and U.S. v. Salias, a case involving the production of child pornography involving an infant, highlight the depravity they’re facing.

The stats are chilling. Investigations and prosecutions of hacking and other cybercrimes have jumped 20 percent in the last two years. Since 2014, child exploitation cases have increased by 40 percent. But the truly terrifying figure? A 500 percent increase in cases involving the production of child pornography since 2012 – many featuring toddlers and infants. Nationally, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) Cyber Tipline has received 12.7 million reports since 1998, with a staggering 4.4 million coming in 2015 alone. NCMEC has reviewed 172 million images, identifying over 10,900 child victims. U.S. v. Holt et al., a case involving the sexual exploitation of three children, is a grim reminder of the stakes.

It’s not just about tracking down perpetrators within U.S. borders, either. The office has prosecuted 16 individuals since 2014 for Bitcoin/Digital Currency crimes, and investigations aided by the new section have led to prosecutions in foreign countries (9 individuals) and by state authorities (6-10 individuals). National security threats are also a priority. Cases like U.S. v. Conley, involving a Colorado woman who attempted to join ISIS, U.S. v. Ansberry, where the defendant attempted to bomb the Nederland Police Department, and U.S. v. Worku, a convicted war criminal facing visa fraud charges, demonstrate the breadth of the threats they’re confronting.

This new section isn’t just about reacting to crime; it’s about getting ahead of it. With the digital landscape constantly evolving, the Colorado U.S. Attorney’s Office is sending a clear message: they’re prepared to fight back against the ever-growing threat of cybercrime and national security breaches, no matter how complex or hidden the operation.

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