Former Prenda Law attorney Paul Duffy, 55, died Monday from heart and alcohol-related conditions, according to a report. Duffy was a partner in the now-dissolved Prenda Law, which was notorious for exacting payments from porn piracy defendants through court-approved subpoenas.

Duffy had partnered with attorneys John Steele and Paul Hansmeier at Prenda Law, which closed shop in 2013 after US District Judge Otis Wright in Los Angeles sanctioned the three for deceiving the court in a copyright infringement case.

Prenda Law attorneys allegedly created shell companies in order to file copyright infringement and computer hacking suits to exploit court subpoena powers and extort settlements, typically about $3,400 per defendant, according to court records.

Prenda Law, in recent months, was reportedly the subject of a federal probe, as well.

According to the Madison Record, the specific causes of Duffy's death were atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and chronic ethanolism. He died at a Chicago-area hospital.