Donald Best
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Donald Best is a former Detective Sergeant with the Toronto Police who is probably the most notable (or notorious) deep-cover satellite piracy investigator in Canada. Starting in the mid-1990s, he was the primary investigator in over a hundred anti-pirate decryption actions launched by satellite television companies Bell ExpressVu and DirecTV and smart card manufacturer NDS Group (Formerly News Datacom, NDC).
His evidence was used in the precedent-setting Supreme Court of Canada case "Bell Express Vu Limited Partnership (Appellant) and Richard Rex, Can-Am Satellites et al (Respondent)"[1]
Best's undercover methods have been extensively criticized in online postings and discussion forums by satellite dealers who have been the subject of his cases. His use of Anton Piller search warrants at dealers' homes has been a focus of complaints but the courts have never rejected any of his searches. However, according to an internet message forum, at least one unknown judge has called into question his methods and reputation.
During the year 2001 while working as an undercover investigator for satellite television smart card maker NDS/News Datacom, Donald Best became one of a hundred sub-dealers of a major satellite pirate named Marty Mullen in London, Ontario Canada. Best became close friends with Marty Mullen for a year and later testified at Mullen's 2004 trial in Tampa, Florida.
At that trial, Marty Mullen received the most severe sentence for satellite piracy recorded in the United States: seven years with no parole and a restitution order to pay DirecTV and smart card provider NDS Ltd. US$24 million in restitution.[2]
[edit] Background Of Donald Best
Little is known of Donald Best's background prior to his service with the Toronto Police. Each of Best's Anton Piller applications and affidavits lists details of his police experience. According to his affidavits when he left the police in 1990 he held the rank for Detective (Sergeant) and was an internal investigator on the staff of a Deputy Chief "Assigned to investigate internal matters, including internal audits and budget matters (1987-1990)" He is a Certified Fraud Examiner.
At Marty Mullen's Florida trial, Best testified that he left the police service to take over the family business because of the death of his father. It is known that he developed some condominium projects in Barrie, Canada during the late 1980s and early 1990s when he owned a commercial flooring company in that city. Best has not surfaced as an investigator since the Marty Mullen case and it is rumored on satellite piracy chat groups that he retired from undercover work to devote himself to his investments.
