Mobile man charged with using sophisticated jamming device to block police communications

By Brendan KirbyPublished: Jun. 13, 2023 at 7:01 AM GMT+8|Updated: Jun. 16, 2023 at 8:08 AM GMT+8

On June 15, 2023, Trenton Lisak, a resident of Mobile, entered a plea of not guilty after being accused of disrupting emergency communications and possessing illegal drugs.

The prosecution claims that he utilized costly and exceptionally advanced equipment from a residence located at the Tower on Ryan Park. Officials from Mobile County 911 state that this action effectively paralyzed communication systems in downtown Mobile on June 6 and resulted in disturbances throughout the remainder of the week.

Lisak’s preliminary hearing has been scheduled by the judge for July 19th.

ORIGINAL STORY:

Law enforcement authorities reported that police and emergency services transmissions were disrupted for a significant portion of last week due to jamming signal from costly and advanced black market devices.

Trenton Edward Lisak was apprehended by the police on Saturday for allegedly obstructing public safety communication, which is a Class C felony that carries a prison sentence of one to ten years. Additionally, he is being charged with drug possession. The FBI is reportedly conducting an investigation into the matter, according to prosecutors.

Mobile County District Attorney Keith Blackwood expressed on Monday that the charge at hand is quite uncommon. He emphasized the seriousness of the matter, stating that it is of utmost importance for our law enforcement and first responders to have effective communication capabilities, not just in downtown areas, but in any location.

What an uncommon occurrence!

Blackwood expressed that this was an unprecedented experience for him. He couldn’t recollect any other instance where such an occurrence had taken place, especially not to this magnitude. The sheer volume of equipment involved made it a highly notable event.

Lisak’s arrest record reveals a series of offenses, ranging from theft and breaking into cars to possession of a forged instrument and involvement in criminal mischief.

Mobile County District Judge Jennifer Wright has established a bail amount of $15,000, which aligns with the highest recommended bail for this particular offense. Furthermore, she has mandated that 10 percent of the bail be paid in cash. Additionally, Judge Wright has imposed an extra $5,000 bail specifically for the drug charge.

Furthermore, the judge imposed a curfew from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. and directed Lisak, aged 31, to maintain distance from the Tower at Ryan Park located in downtown. This residential complex is where officials discovered the equipment responsible for disrupting the communication systems of all 57 law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical agencies affiliated with the Mobile County Communications District.

The mentioned address is also the residential address provided in Lisak’s booking information; however, the prosecutor informed the judge that investigators have doubts regarding his actual residence at that location.

Robert Jackson, a district administrator, characterized it as “an exceptionally advanced apparatus arranged within the apartment, specifically engineered to disrupt our signal.”

Jackson added, “In order to locate it, we had to make adjustments to our instruments.”

Charlie McNichol, the 911 system director, informed FOX10 News that the interference effectively disrupted communications for an entire day the previous week.

On the previous Tuesday, it resulted in considerable disruptions within the downtown vicinity,” he stated. “To be precise, our tower site situated at Government Plaza was the source of the alarms. Consequently, the initial responders encountered severe difficulties in their communication efforts.”

It remains unclear what the motive may have been, officials said. Blackwood said he does not know what the defendant was planning, or where he got the equipment.

McNichol said he does not know if Lisak just enjoys watching chaos or if he had something more sinister planned and attempted to jam communications as part of that.

“This individual had some wifi jamming equipment that you buy on the black market,” he said. “It’s illegal to even possess it. And that’s what was causing the problems.”

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