U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation agents have raided a Dallas ISP, knocking the company and almost 50 of its clients offline.
The early morning Thursday RAID closed down the operations of Core IP Networks, which operated out of two floors of a Telx collocation facility at 2323 Bryan Street in Dallas. The RAID had to do with the activities of a former customer, according to Matthew Simpson, Core IP’s CEO. “The FBI is investigating a company that has purchased services from Core IP in the past,” he wrote in a note posted to a Google Sites page. “This company does not even collocate with us anywhere, much less 2323 Bryan Street Datacenter.”
He did not name the company that is allegedly at the center of the FBI investigation.
FBI spokesman Mark White confirmed that agents had executed a search warrant at the 2323 Bryan Street address on Thursday, but declined to comment further on the matter.
“Currently nearly 50 businesses are completely without access to their email and data,” Simpson wrote. “Citizen access to Emergency 911 services are being affected, as Core IP’s primary client base consists of telephone companies. “
Simpson said that his company was not involved in any kind of illegal activity. He could not be reached immediately for comment.
It is unusual for the FBI to shut down an entire hosting provider because of the activity of a single customer.
Matthew Simpson
Core IP Networks LLC
Dear Customers,
Today at 6:00am, the FBI conducted an unwarranted early morning RAID of our 2323 Bryan Street Datacenters, on the 7th and 24th floors.
I received a phone call at 6:05am from our NOC that the entire network was powered off. I called Capstar Commercial and TELX, our landlord, and was told that the FBI was in the datacenter with a search and seizure warrant. I asked that the agent in charge call me immediately.
I received a call 15 minutes later from FBI Agent Allyn Lynd. Mr. Lynd would not tell me why he raided our datacenter or what he was looking for. He also accused me of hiding inside my house in Ovilla, Texas. I was actually in Phoenix, Arizona when this happened. I told him that, and he told me that he was “getting the dogs” after me, and hung up on me. I found out from an employee that there were 15 police cars and a SWAT team at my home in Ovilla.
The FBI has seized all equipment belonging to our customers. Many customers went to the data center to try and retrieve their equipment, but were threatened with arrest.
Neither I, nor Core IP are involved in any illegal activities of any kind. The only data that I have received thus far is that the FBI is investigating a company that has purchased services from Core IP in the past. This company does not even colocate with us anywhere, much less 2323 Bryan Street Datacenter.
Currently nearly 50 businesses are completely without access to their email and data. Citizen access to Emergency 911 services are being affected, as Core IP’s primary client base consists of telephone companies.
If you run a datacenter, please be aware that in our great country, the FBI can come into your place of business at any time and take whatever they want, with no reason.
I can be reached for further comment at: mnsclec@gmail.com
Further information will be given as it becomes available.
Yours,
Matthew Simpson
CEO, Core IP Networks, LLC