VA Laptop Thieves Caught

The FBI said it had arrested 2 teen-age boys in the May 3 break-in of a Maryland home. A VA laptop computer was taken. It held a hard drive with over 23 million names and other data on veterans who were discharged after 1975 and some active duty members of the Armed Forces.

The laptop was turned in on June 28 for $50,000 reward. The person or persons surrendering the laptop were not identified. Alex Pineda and Brian Montano, both 19, and of Rockville, MD, were arrested today, August 5. Montgomery County police said they expect to make a third arrest of a juvenile.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs James Nicholson said, "Today's announcement that arrests have been made is good news."An arraignment hearing could be held Monday. The amount of bond will be set then. The VA said the FBI had decided the information on the hard drive was not compromised.

Congress is pondering legislation to improve information security.

See news.yahoo.com...



[edit on 8/5/2006 by donwhite]

Got a link for this, don

For those following this story, the theft is discussed here:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

DTOM -

That is a separate story, a separate theft.

The one that Donwhite is referencing is a VA laptop that was stolen, not the recruiter's laptop.

The link for the arrest of the VA theft is:

LINK to INDY STAR

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Two teenagers were arrested Saturday in the theft of a laptop and hard drive containing sensitive data on up to 26.5 million veterans and military personnel, authorities said.

JDub

PONDERING?? seems to me these idiots had better be pushing this kind of legislation through. like, stonings of anyone who gets caught stealing and/or leaving this information in an unsecure place.

I would hope so too as my information was on the laptop that was stolen.

This story doesn't take into account the stolen/missing computer backup tape from the Indianapolis, Indiana regional VA that has veterans info on it for over 16,000 vets, nor the missing/stolen laptop from the VA in Marion, Indiana. In Marion, they were originally missing four laptops but three have been found. The fourth continues to be missing.

I sure hope they get their "stuff" together soon.

JDub

posted by 25cents

PONDERING?? seems to me these idiots had better be pushing this kind of legislation through. like, stoning of anyone who gets caught stealing and/or leaving this information in an insecure place. [Edited by Don W]

Let’s face it, I’m old. I have always been interested in law and laws. I was born in Ky. My first recollection of reading a law book was Carroll’s Statutes. At the public library. All the laws of Ky were in one bound volume. Close to but not quite the size of Webster’s 2nd International. A few years later, Ky had a Revised version in 3 loose leaf binders, colored red. Then a decade or two later, the 3 became 7, but now colored blue.

Today it takes 22 bound volumes to hold the statutes and 7 similar volumes to hold the Administrative Regulations that have the force of law. Hmm? I used to ask, “Do you feel safer on the streets today than you did a couple decades ago?”

I should clarify, in every instance these are "annotated" statutes books, which means every law case involving each statute is mentioned and a brief synopsis included. That may consume 2/3rds of the space, but the same proportions would apply to each incremental revision. Maybe we’re doing something wrong?

If Americans don’t like something, they make it against the law. It that does not stop it, they double the penalty.

Just how smart is that?


[edit on 8/6/2006 by donwhite]

posted by BlueTileSpook

“ . . my information was on the laptop that was stolen. This story doesn't account for the stolen or missing computer backup tape from Indianapolis Regional VA that has over 16,000 vets, nor the missing or stolen laptop from the VA in Marion . . they were missing four laptops but three have been found. The fourth continues missing. I sure hope they get their "stuff" together soon. JDub [Edited by Don W]

I suspect the “missing” story is true. I doubt any large organizations operating in 50 states could pass a close inventory inspection. I heard the US Navy used to dump all old equipment overboard prior to hitting port, and the Navy replenished the ship without questions. In a lot of cases it was cheaper to give out new than to look for old.

No matter how many rules you have, someone will break it. The FBI could not catch Robert Hannsen who worked for the KGB 18 of his 21 year career. And the CIA could not catch Aldrich Ames who gave up all 22 humints in Moscow, and no one in the CiA ever seemed alarmed. So how can the VA catch a thief?

PS. If the story of Hanssen's incarceration are true, the US is engaged in torture of the lowest order. With AG Gonzales and Bush43 egged on by VP Cheney and the Oberfuhrer, I do not doubt the worst I hear about the US DoJ. An Orwellian New Speak mis-name.



[edit on 8/6/2006 by donwhite]