Guns N’ Roses Leaker Gets Nabbed By The Feds

noah | August 27, 2008 2:30 am

So, remember those nine songs from Chinese Democracy that leaked back in June? And remember how the proprietor of Antiquiet.com, the blog that streamed those songs until their servers crashed and they got a “friendly” e-mail or twelve from the Guns N’ Roses camp, got a visit from the Feds shortly after the leaks sprung? Well, two days after he posted a call for lawyers on the site–“More and more each day, it looks like I may be indicted,” he wrote–he was arrested by FBI agents and charged with violating Federal copyright laws.

Kevin Cogill, who went by the name “Skwerl” online, was arrested at his home outside of Los Angeles earlier today, and he’s set to appear at U.S. District Court sometime today. As he wrote to me back in June, though, he was cooperating with the authorities; arrest documents claim that he confessed to posting the songs when he was questioned. Digital Media Wire claims that Cogill’s sentence could include up to three years in a federal prison and $250,000 in fines–and that’s not even including civil judgments that could be sought by Axl Rose, his management, and other parties interested in the copyright on the songs.

Blogger arrested, accused of posting 9 unreleased Guns N’ Roses songs [LAT]