Court docket data present the previous RCMP director promised to leak data in change for cash

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OTTAWA — Court docket data present former RCMP intelligence director Cameron Ortiz promised to proceed leaking delicate data to a British Columbia businessman underneath worldwide investigation if he agreed to pay $20,000 for a primary set of confidential paperwork, prosecutors say.

The supply was described in a 507-page package deal of paperwork that each the Crown and protection agreed had been factual and had been introduced on the trial of Ortis, who’s accused of breaching Canada’s Nationwide Secrets and techniques Act.

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Emails that prosecutors say Ortis despatched point out he uncovered an secret agent to achieve the belief of Vincent Ramos, a British Columbia businessman who needed to promote secrets and techniques to him.

In an electronic mail, prosecutors say an nameless sender named Ortis even went as far as to recommend adjustments Ramos may make to his enterprise operations to evade future investigators.

The paperwork make clear what the Crown says are Ortiz’s communications with the 4 people accused of leaking confidential data to them: Ramos, Salim Hanara, Mohammad Ashraf, and Farzam Mehdizadeh. Ortis’ attorneys haven’t thought of whether or not Ortis despatched the nameless emails submitted as proof Tuesday.

Initially of his trial on Tuesday, Ortis pleaded not responsible to 6 prices, together with 4 prices underneath the Safety of Data Act (SOIA) for allegedly sharing “non-public operational data” in 2015 “willfully and with out authority.”

The protection has not but introduced its case, however Ortiz’s attorneys mentioned they may argue that he had the authority to do no matter he did.

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Crown legal professional Judy Kliewer mentioned paperwork present Ortis initially contacted Ramos, the previous proprietor of Phantom Safe in British Columbia that bought modified BlackBerry cellphones described as unhackable, in February 2015 from an nameless account. The primary electronic mail promised “beneficial” data that would come with particulars of a multi-agency investigation into Ramos.

The message mentioned the sender had accomplished this earlier than with different purchasers.

“I’ve discovered that previously the recipient of my preliminary contact electronic mail could also be considerably skeptical about who despatched this message and what it’d imply. I guarantee you this can be a industrial supply. Nothing else.” It’s not risk-free, after all, however The chance-reward ratio might be greater than acceptable,” the sender wrote to Ramos.

The Crown says subsequent messages present Ortis was obsessive about securing his communications, sending a number of emails to Ramos imploring him to determine a safe line of communication and suggesting a number of choices for a way to take action.

Ramos, then again, appeared gradual to reply and suspicious of the nameless electronic mail sender, who usually needed to comply with up when Ramos failed to reply to messages. Ramos additionally repeatedly requested the nameless emailer to disclose his true id, which he refused.

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“I am within the enterprise of acquiring hard-to-get data that individuals in distinctive, high-risk firms discover beneficial. I promote that data to them… Throughout regular discovery processes (some name this hacking, others name this hacking) I got here throughout plenty of paperwork that… “Relating to your present efforts,” the Crown says, Ortiz wrote to Ramos on February 7, 2015, whereas declining to determine himself.

In what gave the impression to be an try to show to Ramos that he held confidential details about him, his affiliate Cabell Decide and Phantom Safe, the nameless sender wrote to Ramos in March 2015 referring to a “buddy” whom Decide might have met whereas at Vancouver Worldwide Airport.

Prosecutors say Ortiz wrote to Ramos, “Stand again and decide the individual he met at YVR,” implicitly revealing that individual was doubtless a regulation enforcement official. Different court docket paperwork verify that this individual was an undercover RCMP officer.

Clower mentioned the emails reveal that Ortis supplied Ramos not solely with confidential RCMP paperwork but additionally with data from the Monetary Transactions and Studies Evaluation Middle of Canada (FINTRAC), categorized intelligence from police and international businesses and briefings to the Vancouver Police Division.

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The nameless emailer’s supply to Ramos was easy: Pay me $20,000 in money and I’ll offer you confidential police and safety company intelligence that may assist you to outsmart the authorities. On the time, American, Canadian, and Australian police had been very involved about Phantom Safe’s actions.

To persuade Ramos he was severe and get him to create an encrypted electronic mail deal with, prosecutors say Ortiz ultimately despatched him a pattern of 9 RCMP and FINTRAC paperwork regarding Ramos, his associates and Phantom Safe on April 29, 2015.

“The whole, non-restricted documentation will provide you with the knowledge wanted to beat these efforts towards Phantom Safe, and can present a transparent understanding of find out how to begin serious about find out how to proceed rising your community securely sooner or later,” Ramos’ nameless electronic mail wrote.

Two weeks later, Ramos created an encrypted electronic mail and contacted Ortis, the Crown mentioned. That is when Ortis demanded $20,000 “in (firm) money” for the complete paperwork in addition to beforehand undisclosed “extra data.”

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“I’m within the means of acquiring extra data (sic) on varied matters, a few of which can be helpful to you. “If our first deal is profitable, I’ll ship a abstract of this new data and you may determine in case you are enthusiastic about that as effectively,” the Crown says, Ortiz wrote to Ramos.

“I hope this primary deal would be the starting of a powerful working relationship,” he added in a subsequent electronic mail.

Retired RCMP Sgt. Jay Bailey was the officer who first found Ramos’ nameless emails on his pc after his arrest in Bellingham, Washington, in 2018.

In his testimony on Wednesday, Bailey advised the court docket he was “shocked” to find confidential RCMP paperwork within the fingers of an alleged legal (Ramos was sentenced to 9 years in jail in 2019).

He mentioned the knowledge Ortiz allegedly supplied to Ramos on the time was of nice worth to an organization underneath worldwide investigation.

“If I had been the CEO of an organization, I’d wish to know what the police learn about my operation,” he mentioned.

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