[Back to Operation PowerOFF December 2018 wave](https://takedownindex.org/takedowns/operation-poweroff-december-2018-wave)

Operation PowerOFF

# Organizations and roles

December 2018, DDoS for hire
[Operation PowerOFF December 2018 wave](https://takedownindex.org/takedowns/operation-poweroff-december-2018-wave)

Last reviewed August 23, 2026

The public record puts 7 organizations on this action. Operational lead: FBI. The table lists the role the cited record assigns each one, in the record's own wording where it gives any.

## Why this page names organizations only

Roles on this page describe the agencies that took part. Individuals named in the public record appear on the takedown entry itself, under People and accountability.

## Organizations and roles

| Emblem | Organization | Role | What the record says |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| | [Federal Bureau of Investigation](https://takedownindex.org/organizations/federal-bureau-of-investigation), United States | Operational lead | Investigated the booter services, test-purchased and tested each one, and executed the seizure of the 15 domains on 2018-12-19. Investigating offices were the FBI's Anchorage Field Office and the Cyber Initiative and Resource Fusion Unit, with help from the Chicago, Los Angeles, Memphis and Philadelphia Field Offices and the Scranton Resident Agency. |
| | [United States Department of Justice](https://takedownindex.org/organizations/united-states-department-of-justice), United States | Prosecuting | The Justice Department's Criminal Division announced the action; Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski was one of the announcing officials. |
| | [United States Attorney's Office for the Central District of California](https://takedownindex.org/organizations/united-states-attorney-s-office-for-the-central-district-of-california), United States | Charging | Charged Matthew Gatrel and Juan Martinez on 2018-12-19 with conspiring to violate the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act over the Downthem and Ampnode services; the seizure warrants issued out of its district. |
| | [United States Attorney's Office for the District of Alaska](https://takedownindex.org/organizations/united-states-attorney-s-office-for-the-district-of-alaska), United States | Charging | Charged David Bukoski on 2018-12-12 with aiding and abetting computer intrusions over the Quantum Stresser service. |
| | [Defense Criminal Investigative Service](https://takedownindex.org/organizations/defense-criminal-investigative-service), United States | Supporting | Provided additional assistance to the investigation. |
| | [National Crime Agency](https://takedownindex.org/organizations/national-crime-agency), United Kingdom | Other | Contributed to the investigation. |
| | [National High Tech Crime Unit](https://takedownindex.org/organizations/national-high-tech-crime-unit), Netherlands | Other | Contributed to the investigation. |

## Accountability

### Legal authority

Federal seizure warrants issued by the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California; criminal complaints filed in the Central District of California and the District of Alaska

### Oversight

The record assigns prosecuting or judicial roles to DOJ.

### Ongoing investigation

Group accounted for: Partial. Three defendants charged against 15 seized services, so most operators were not publicly accounted for.

This page records organizational involvement as the cited sources state it. Where a role carries no description, the record gives none.

Last reviewed August 23, 2026