Excerpt:
Prosecutors highlighted “about $10,000 — $8,000 in U.S. dollars and then $2,000 in foreign currency that was found on his person,” CNN correspondent Danny Freeman said following the court hearing.
“Also they said that he had a Faraday bag,” which blocks cell signals, a move that prosecutors alleged marked “an indication of criminal sophistication and reason they should hold him on bail,” Freeman continued.
After prosecutors made the claims, Mangione said he would like to “correct two things.”
“I don’t know where any of that money came from — I’m not sure if it was planted. And also, that bag was waterproof, so I don’t know about criminal sophistication,” the suspect said in a statement that suggested police framed him.
“Also they said that he had a Faraday bag,” which blocks cell signals, a move that prosecutors alleged marked “an indication of criminal sophistication and reason they should hold him on bail,” Freeman continued.
Prosecutors, man. Acting like he had a fucking radio jammer or something.
There have been plenty of articles in popular media recommending Faraday bags for electronic devices. I have them for credit cards and car keys. It’s definitely not evidence of criminal intent.
There is so much theft of cars happening because car manufacturers did fucking nothing to improve security. Now a guy with a laptop, and antenna, and radio software can clone your car keys and all they have to do is hang around enough to capture a few of the rolling code changes. They can do it from outside your house and through some obstructions too.
So yeah a Faraday cage of some sort for your car keys is just a good idea now. Guess that makes us all criminals.
Shit, any Subaru owner probably has an RFID bag for when they go car camping and don’t want to wake up to a dead battery.
