Status in the case file. A WIRED investigation describes him as an FBI informant and a member of TheGrifters.
About the editorial tag. ‘Suspect’ is the editorial label for this series. The procedural status and outcomes of the cases are listed separately.
Relevance to the topic. TheGrifters, links to CarderPlanet and ShadowCrew.
TheGrifters under FBI control
According to a WIRED investigation, David Thomas, known as El Mariachi, began cooperating with the FBI in April 2003. In December, he launched the closed platform TheGrifters as part of his work for the agency. The platform attracted the same sellers, buyers and intermediaries who were active on CarderPlanet, ShadowCrew and other forums. Thomas is a key figure in the series as a source of information on law enforcement operations and the behaviour of participants across several platforms. [1] [2]
The conflict with Macgyver
Before collaborating with the FBI, Thomas was associated with Kim Taylor, known as Macgyver. Following Thomas’s arrest, CarderPlanet published police documents containing his statements. WIRED describes how the allegations of collaboration with law enforcement sparked a conflict between Thomas’s supporters on CarderPlanet and Taylor’s supporters on ShadowCrew. For the informant, such a conflict meant that his previous reputation could jeopardise his work for the agency. [1] [2]
Where were the boundaries of the operation?
The FBI used TheGrifters, whilst the Secret Service ran Operation Firewall against ShadowCrew. These were two separate intelligence-gathering channels. WIRED reports that informants and administrators overlapped on several forums and often suspected one another. Thomas’s operation came to an end in the autumn of 2004, when his role began to arouse increasing suspicion. [1] [2]
How to read this story
This dossier is based on a journalistic reconstruction by WIRED and a series of interviews conducted after the platforms had already been shut down. These provide an insight into Thomas’s role and the conflict between the forums. The federal indictment against ShadowCrew serves as a separate document detailing the offences with which the prosecution has charged its defendants. [1] [3]
What journalists have managed to verify about Thomas
WIRED reconstructed the events based on Thomas’s interview, reports from other participants and information that could be independently verified. Thomas stated that, as an informant, he passed on information to his handler and often did not know what specific contacts led to. Consequently, the number of charges and arrests cannot be directly deduced from the number of conversations that took place on TheGrifters. In the profile, the name ‘El Mariachi’ is linked to Thomas’s work, and the site’s role is described as part of a journalistically documented operation. [1] [2]
If you have any documents or further details regarding this dossier, Write to the editor.
