Prank call to GMs Buddy Nix and Mark Dominik leads to charges

[Uncle Rico]

Remember the prank call where Nix was taped ragging on Fitz a bit? Apparently the feds frown on that sort of thing:

http://deadspin.com/guys-who-taped-call-between-nfl-gms-charged-with-federa-510377900?utm_campaign=socialflow_deadspin_twitter&utm_source=deadspin_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

Joshua Barber and Nicholas Kaiser, both 20 and of Plymouth, Mass., were charged with intentionally intercepting a wire communication and with making a telephone call without disclosing their identity with the intent to annoy or harass the person at the called number. The charges carry maximum penalties of five years in prison and a $500,000 fine.

I feel a little bad that two 20-year-olds face these charges, but I'm not a fan of the whole prank call thing that some radio stations seems to love so much. Maybe this will make station personnel think twice.

 

[Joey007]

500,000 $??? Why so serious??

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

OT: Jail Time for Prank Call with NFL GM's?

Mass. men face NY charges over NFL GM phone prank - News - Boston.com

The young men who hilariously pranked Buffalo's GM Buddy Nix and the Bucs GM revealing Nix's idiocy as covered on Deadspin could face 5 years rooming with Bubba whose bad knee kept him from being an NFL NT. NY's prosecutor must have no substantive crimes worth pursuing.

I for one am thankful I never faced jail time for one of my pranks gone awry.

 

[lurker1965]

500,000 $??? Why so serious??

If you were a Bills fan would you want to recuperate Fitz money somehow?

 

[nabwong]

Wow, can't imagine how I'd feel if I was facing a potential 5 year jail sentence and $500,000 fine. It could be worse though. Maybe the judge will sentence them to work for the Bills for 5 years.

 

[Claremonster]

Aw *****...yer free aight? Freedom of speach and *****...right?

Those stars represent freedom and ****... what a ******* joke this world is anymore

 

[Ian]

OT: Nix prank call leads to charges

I understand the NFL's need to make an example out of them but that's a little steep. I think $20,000 would have been enough of a lesson - but $500,000 is insane.

I also really can't see them going to jail either over this considering the nature of the call, but I never doubted they'd get sued. However, these are just plain dumb guys, they're not (or don't seem to be) evil people.

Needless to say 5yrs & that amount of $$ is ridiculous and a little much considering what they did. I get that the league wants to make sure no one ever attempts it again, but absolutely destroying them seems unnecessary.

Hope they have a good lawyer :bricks:

 

[tonyto3690]

Aw *****...yer free aight? Freedom of speach and *****...right?

Those stars represent freedom and ****... what a ******* joke this world is anymore

Seriously? I think the fine/jail time is excessive (and there is no way they even sniff what the max penalty is), but freedom of speech does not allow for anyone to say anything. What about protection from slander? What about protection from harassment? What about protection of the general populace and screaming fire?

Sorry, but you clearly don't understand what freedom of speech actually means.


EDIT:
It seems everyone is just paying attention to the max fines. There is no way those actually happen. In the vast majority of cases like this, first time offenders (which I'm assuming, since they appear to just be average college guys who pulled a prank), the cases give the defendant the minimum fine.

I wouldn't be surprised if they got nothing but probation and requirements to do 80 hours of community service or something along those lines. I have no idea what the minimum is for this kind of thing, but there is absolutely zero chance they come close to 500k and 5 years in jail. The judge is not going to ruin two 20 year olds lives over a (funny) prank. That punishment would do far more bad than good.

 

[Uncle Rico]

...
It seems everyone is just paying attention to the max fines. There is no way those actually happen. In the vast majority of cases like this, first time offenders (which I'm assuming, since they appear to just be average college guys who pulled a prank), the cases give the defendant the minimum fine.

I wouldn't be surprised if they got nothing but probation and requirements to do 80 hours of community service or something along those lines. I have no idea what the minimum is for this kind of thing, but there is absolutely zero chance they come close to 500k and 5 years in jail. The judge is not going to ruin two 20 year olds lives over a (funny) prank. That punishment would do far more bad than good.

Exactly. AGree, no way they get the max.

 

[BSR]

What a ridiculous waste of tax payers money.

 

[Fixit]

What a ridiculous waste of tax payers money.

Yeah, how dare they enforce laws that forbid illegal wiretapping. Those bastards!

 

[patchick]

Yeah, how dare they enforce laws that forbid illegal wiretapping. Those bastards!

Yep, "prank" or no, you just can't intercept and broadcast other people's private phone calls. (Imagine for a moment that YOUR private call in which you made some candid, non-flattering comments about an employee or colleague were tapped and replayed to the world.)

As tonyto3690 explained, the numbers being tossed around are just the max possible punishments. I'd hope and expect that these kids would get the minimum instead...but you don't get a total free pass with the law for "funny crimes."

 

[BSR]

Yeah, how dare they enforce laws that forbid illegal wiretapping. Those bastards!

Yeah, because this is what illegal wire tapping laws were meant to protect.

Heck, why we are at it lets arrest Tom Mabe, Crank Yankers and the Jerky Boys. There are 1.5million results on youtube for prank calls. Lets go get em all! This mighty injustice can no longer be tolerated.

 

[chasa]

Has there already been a "Patriots are cheaters they recorded phone calls" outlash?

I could see nfl fans doing something like that because these guys were from Mass.

 

[patchick]

Heck, why we are at it lets arrest Tom Mabe, Crank Yankers and the Jerky Boys. There are 1.5million results on youtube for prank calls. Lets go get em all!

Isn't a prank call when the caller pretends to be somebody else and records his own call?

These guys tapped into an actual call between 2 GMs as a silent 3rd party, recorded the private conversation and disseminated it. That's pretty much textbook wiretapping, and I have never, ever heard that from a radio dj.

 

[BSR]

Isn't a prank call when the caller pretends to be somebody else and records his own call?

These guys tapped into an actual call between 2 GMs as a silent 3rd party, recorded the private conversation and disseminated it. That's pretty much textbook wiretapping, and I have never, ever heard that from a radio dj.

They didn't "tap" into a call. They made the calls to the 2 GMs and then shut up. Its like the old joke of calling two Chinese food restaurants and letting them talk to one another. There is over 90,000 of those on youtube.

 

[lurker1965]

Seriously? I think the fine/jail time is excessive (and there is no way they even sniff what the max penalty is), but freedom of speech does not allow for anyone to say anything. What about protection from slander? What about protection from harassment? What about protection of the general populace and screaming fire?

Sorry, but you clearly don't understand what freedom of speech actually means.


EDIT:
It seems everyone is just paying attention to the max fines. There is no way those actually happen. In the vast majority of cases like this, first time offenders (which I'm assuming, since they appear to just be average college guys who pulled a prank), the cases give the defendant the minimum fine.

I wouldn't be surprised if they got nothing but probation and requirements to do 80 hours of community service or something along those lines. I have no idea what the minimum is for this kind of thing, but there is absolutely zero chance they come close to 500k and 5 years in jail. The judge is not going to ruin two 20 year olds lives over a (funny) prank. That punishment would do far more bad than good.

Can anyone start a class action lawsuit against the NFL for making the tax payers waste money on this to benefit a private industry staffed by morons that let ANYONE call a teams GM. Hell, is that a public enticement like an unfenced pool.

Heck, if any person other than the Bills GM answered the phone - and then repeatedly called back (the pool followed the kids trying to be good) - they would have been dissuaded. Shouldn't they take minimum and reasonable precautions like put a fence around the pool.

 

[patchick]

They didn't "tap" into a call. They made the calls to the 2 GMs and then shut up.

Do you believe this somehow makes what they what they did legal?

They intercepted a wire communication in which the parties involved had a reasonable expectation of privacy, without those parties’ awareness or consent, and disseminated the contents of the private communication. That sure sounds like illegal wiretapping, regardless of methodology.

Was it a minor violation? Of course. Should the affected parties have just let it go? Perhaps. But labeling it a "prank" doesn't make it legal.

 

[lurker1965]

Yeah, how dare they enforce laws that forbid illegal wiretapping. Those bastards!

They are "fans" (that is short for fanatic - do not expect reason from people you make money from being "fanatical).

If one does not take basic precautions, like not having the team GM repeatedly call the fans back, then one is at fault.

Disagree? Build a pool without a fence.

 

[lurker1965]

Yep, "prank" or no, you just can't intercept and broadcast other people's private phone calls. (Imagine for a moment that YOUR private call in which you made some candid, non-flattering comments about an employee or colleague were tapped and replayed to the world.)

As tonyto3690 explained, the numbers being tossed around are just the max possible punishments. I'd hope and expect that these kids would get the minimum instead...but you don't get a total free pass with the law for "funny crimes."

If I called you and got scared because I did not think I'd actually get to talk to THE PATCHICK (assume you are a celebrity) and you kept calling me back thinking I'm Ian (THE IAN ) I'd blame YOU for calling me repeatedly when I was trying to do the right thing.