Even as the Federal Communications Commission and Department of Justice prepped to take significant action against alleged pirate operators in Manhattan, it had its eye on other operations in New York, New Jersey and Oregon.
In early April, agents from the New York Office of the Enforcement Bureau investigated an unlicensed FM station operating on the frequency 107.7 MHz in the Orange, N.J., area. Using direction-finding techniques, radio signals were detected on the frequency 107.7 MHz from a property on 439 Main Street and found that the alleged station was being operated by Nicolas Ronald at a property owned by Sanjiv Jain of Orange.
Around the same time, agents from the Boston Office investigated a complaint of an alleged unlicensed FM station operating on the frequency 99.7 MHz in Brockton, Mass. Agents delivered a notice of unlicensed operation to Cayemite J. Edner of Brockton as the owner of the property on North Warren Ave. where the station was allegedly operating.
The month prior, agents sent a notice of unlicensed operation to John G. Pierre of Brooklyn after agents responded to complaints of an unlicensed FM station operating on the frequency 93.7 MHz. Agents confirmed by direction-finding techniques that radio signals on frequency 93.7 MHz were allegedly emanating from 1710 Carroll Street, and that Pierre was the operator of the station.
[Read: Feds Confiscate Gear From Alleged NYC Radio Pirate]
About 2,600 miles across the country in La Grande, Ore., agents from the Portland office of the Enforcement Bureau used direction-finding techniques to assess that radio signals on frequency 92.3 MHz were allegedly emanating from an antenna located in Room 8 at the Orchard Motel occupied by Thomas Eugene Barnes.
In each case, agents allegedly discovered that the stations were operating at a strength that exceeded the maximum permitted level of 100 microvolts per meter (μV/m) at 3 meters for nonlicensed devices.
Each were warned that operating radio transmitting equipment without a valid radio station authorization is a violation of Federal law, and that an operator may be subject to monetary fines and criminal sanctions. Each individual has 10 days to respond with evidence they have FCC authority to operate.
