Two charged with attacks on four power substations in Washington state

cnn ^

[pfflier]

Investigators identified Greenwood and Crahan almost immediately after the attacks took place by using cell phone data that allegedly showed both men in the vicinity of all four substations

This was buried in the narrative. If the authorities already suspected the two did they have to get a search warrant to review phone tracking?

If they weren't suspects yet, of all of the millions of cell phones, how did the authorities just happen to track these two down?

Maybe someone familiar with this can answer the questions.

[Tunehead54]

I’m not worried about them tracking me to the grocery store or getting smokes but someone seems to have made it impossible to get your battery out of the phone to actually turn it off.

So its waterproof right? No such luck. So its not a feature. It is a tracking device. Yeah I know but if you’re not a little paranoid you’re not paying attention. ;-)

[Reno89519]

Shouldn’t they be charged with terrorism?

[catnipman]

we need a new Federal law that makes attacks on critical utility infrastructure a capital crime ... includes electricity, communications, NG and water ... period ...

[Pilsner]

If they weren't suspects yet, of all of the millions of cell phones, how did the authorities just happen to track these two down? Maybe someone familiar with this can answer the questions.

The police get a judge to order the cell tower operators to disclose the 10 digit number of every cell phone that entered a small area around each site, during a brief window of time during which each attack occurred. When that is produced the police look for patterns, such as two cell phones being at all four remote locations in the wee hours of the morning, just when the attacks occurred. The police then get an order from a judge for the cell service provider to turn over the ID of the owner, call history and cell history of the two cell phones in question.

[Pilsner]

Text message history, not cell

[pfflier]

Thank you, very informative.

Question now, , do the cell phones have to be in use or simply be on for this type of search to be effective?

On the surface it sounds like the tracking mode has to be on in some manner and/or the user has to make a call.

[Pilsner]

As a cell phone owner drives around, the cell phone passes from one cell tower to another. At a minimum the police can find out, to the second, when the phone passes from one tower to another. Add in some ability to determine the direction the cell phone is in relation to the tower it is connected to, and the direction the cell phone is in relation to every other tower that can detect it, even though not “connected” to it, and it is often possible to determine the cell phone’s location, within a small radius. The system is used to route the correct emergency responder to the cell phone when 911 is called.

If has been thought for some time that some alphabet agencies are known, with a warrant, one hopes, to install software that keeps a cell phone signaling to cell towers, even if nominally turned off. Can they do it to everyone? I don’t think so. But I would not bet my life on it.

[pfflier]

I learned something new today, keeps the old brain going. Thank you for taking time to explain the cell phone technology.

[Texas Fossil]

Thanks for the link.

From a link in the link:

“Crahan, in 2016, pleaded guilty to possession of stolen property after he admitted to helping burglarize a Gig Harbor home, Pierce County court records show. In 2014, he pleaded guilty to five counts of identity theft after admitting to possessing bank cards and other financial information of five people. Crahan served a total of 54 months in prison, according to Tobby Hatley, a spokesperson for the state Department of Corrections. In a 2014 DOC intake form, Crahan wrote that he had a severe alcohol and methamphetamine problem.”

---

Real Losers.

[PJ-Comix]

Investigators identified Greenwood and Crahan almost immediately after the attacks took place by using cell phone data that allegedly showed both men in the vicinity of all four substations, according to court documents.

And yet the FBI somehow won't use that same technology to track and/or id the January 5 Pipe Bomber in Washington D.C. despite the fact that surveillance cameras showed that pipe bomber using a cell phone.

[rktman]

Sounds like our typical stochastic terry wrist miscreants eh? 🤨👍