United States v. Caira

WILLIAMS, Circuit Judge.

Someone used the email address gslabs@hotmail.com to contact a Vietnamese website in an attempt to buy sassafras oil — a chemical that can be used to make the illegal drug known as ecstasy. The website was being monitored by the Drug Enforcement Administration, which began an investigation that culminated in Frank Caira being convicted on drug charges. A key step in the investigation was learning that Caira was the person behind the gslabs@hotmail.com address. The DEA made that discovery by issuing administrative subpoenas to technology companies, without getting a…