Sex.com Con-man Caught
• Amorous Web, Cyber Sex
This has been a long and entertaining saga:
The con-man who stole the most valuable domain name in the world, Sex.com, has been arrested by Mexican police and handed over to US agents after nearly six years on the run.
Stephen Michael Cohen was arrested on an immigration violation by Mexican authorities and turned over to the US border patrol yesterday, the LA Times has reported. Cohen is being held without bail at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in San Diego, according to deputy marshal Tania Tyler of the US immigration service.
Cohen, a multiple felon and longtime con man, had been on the run since before 2001, when a judge ordered him to pay a San Francisco entrepreneur for hijacking the Internet address Sex.com. In 1995, Cohen forged a letter to Internet authorities to gain control of the address, which he transformed into a highly profitable site for pornography ads.
Hijacker of 'Sex.com' Is Arrested
"It's good that justice is served," said Gary Kremen, who battled Cohen for years over the sex.com Web site. "It actually says something about border cooperation."
After spending six years and $4.5 million in legal fees, Kremen persuaded a San Jose federal judge to award him a $65 million judgment against Cohen, who, the court found, had hijacked the domain name.
Internet sex peddler held on contempt charge
Cohen failed to appear in court after the judgment was entered and the judge in 2001 issued an arrest warrant charging him with contempt of court. Since then, he had been living in Tijuana, according to court records.
The warrant orders Cohen to remain imprisoned until he returns $25 million that the judge said was illegally transferred out of the country.
Former SoCal man accused of stealing porn site arrested in Mexico
Comments
That sad man. I,m so sick and tired of these a$$jacks takeing our lifestyle and makeing it worse then the censors even could. Were the hell is that Aol guy when you need him. I think even he would agree these people are sick. I meen takeing advantage of internet porn users. hats just as low as you can get. Bt the way. any one getting tired of those same type of sites trying to get you to sighn up off of honest dateing chat rooms? Trying to find an honest woman and even on aol all I find is. Ok if you want to keep talking to me meet me on my website. -looks and finds credit card required- Finds real person or bot. -responce- Screw you you fridgid whore.
-If this is hate its cool if you deleat it-
Posted by: Ceot | November 11, 2005 09:54 AM
I knew this con man in his early days when he ran his swingers’ club and his computer bulletin board “The French Connection”. He was charming, but in the background he was ruthless, a perpetual liar, and would sue anyone who he saw as a threat to him. He pretended to be a lawyer and was twice convicted for fraud. He even sued people from his prison cell in Lompoc where he was for almost 4 years. He was able to do that because court filing fees were waived for inmates (can you believe that???). Chances are that he will keep his ill-gotten millions because in a lot of ways he is very smart but in other ways, he makes stupid mistakes. He will always be tripped up if you look for the obvious. Don’t ever get on his bad side, because he WILL come after you, one way or another…
Posted by: Someone | September 13, 2006 03:52 PM