When a Northern California woman realized she had been hacked and photos had been stolen from her computer, she did her own detective work and discovered nude photos of herself on the website WinBuyState.com. That discovery and an investigation by special agents with the California Department of Justice (DOJ) eCrime Unit lead to the arrest of a Tulsa, Oklahoma man.
On February 13, 2014, DOJ special agents, along with officers from the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety and the Tulsa Police Department, arrested Casey Meyering, 28, on five felony extortion counts. He is currently sitting in the Tulsa County jail awaiting extradition to California. Meyering is suspected of owning and operating the revenge porn website, facilitating the posting of more than 400 sexually explicit photos of Californians and extorting victims for as much as $250 each to remove the photos. At least one victim was under 18 at the time the photographs were taken, according to court documents
“This behavior is the very definition of predatory and this website made a game out of humiliating victims for profit,” said Attorney General Kamala Harris. “These actions at their core are about one individual exploiting the privacy and trust of others for financial gain. We will continue to investigate and prosecute those who participate in these deplorable and illegal activities.”
The website WinByState.com, solicited the anonymous, public posting of private photographs containing nude and explicit images of individuals without their permission. Commonly known as revenge porn, the photos may be obtained consensually by the poster during a prior relationship, or are stolen or hacked. Described as “a user supported website where you can trade your ex-girlfriend, your current girlfriend, or any other girl that you might know,” WinByState.com solicited uploaders to identify their “wins” according to city and state, sometimes using the victim’s complete or partial name.
“DOJ special agents in the eCrime unit have a unique task in their investigations,” said Alan Barcelona, president of the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) which represents DOJ special agents along with nearly 7,000 other law enforcement, public safety and consumer protection professionals who work for the State of California. “The investigations can be lengthy and tedious, but as this case shows, the agents don’t stop until they’ve identified their suspect and they don’t stop at state lines to bring their suspect to justice.”
Court documents allege that WinbyState.com required victims to pay $250 via a Google Wallet account to remove posted photographs. The account was named TakeDownHammer, and was registered to Meyering at a non-existent Beverley Hills storefront. Law enforcement agents purchased a “takedown” for one the victims in Napa, and traced the funds to Meyering’s bank account in Tulsa, where surveillance footage from the bank identified him withdrawing money from the account.
The California Attorney General’s Office is currently working with GoDaddy.com to suspend the website pending the investigation and identification of additional victims.
