If you have spent any time in this business you know that domain hijacking is a serious, ongoing problem, one exacerbated by the fact that the criminals who perpetrate the thefts have little fear of prosecution. In the past victims have found that most law enforcement agencies 

have little interest in helping recover assets they don't understand, much less trying to run down crooks who execute these crimes with a keyboard rather than a gun. Many agencies consider domain theft a civil issue rather than a criminal offense (Gary Kremen eventually recovered Sex.com from career criminal Stephen Michael Cohen through a civil suit rather than a criminal prosecution). 

With little chance that he would ever have to answer for his crime, a thief stole P2P.com from co-owners Marc Ostrofsky, Albert Angel and his wife Lesli Angel in 2006 and sold it on Ebay four months later for $111,000 (the victims had purchased the domain for $160,000 in 2005). 

However, the thief overlooked one thing. Marc Ostrosky is an industry pioneer (who sold 

Business.com in a deal valued at $7.5 million) and Albert Angel is a noted attorney and former Justice Department prosecutor who wasn't going to rest until justice was served. 

Last Thursday it was when 24-year-old Daniel Goncalves was arrested at his Union City, New Jersey home and charged with the theft. The Angels' persistence got the New Jersey Cyber Crimes unit involved in the case and they are now credited with a landmark bust, believed to be the first ever criminal prosecution for domain theft in the U.S. 

The Angels and Ostrosfky sent us details of the fascinating case which we have been going through today. Adam Strong at DomainNameNews.com also received the information and he posted an excellent article this morning that runs down how this particular theft occurred and what it took to put Goncalves behind bars - at least temporarily. He is currently out on bail but he will have to answer the felony charges against him in court.