http://www.navytimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-1874510.php

Police: Theft of VA data likely a random crime

By Hope Yen
Associated Press
June 16, 2006


Police investigating the theft of private data on 26.5 million veterans and military troops said Thursday they have no evidence the crime is related to other burglaries in which computers were resold after the hard drives were erased.

Police said they still believe the May 3 burglary was random and that thieves were not aware of the data when they stole a personal laptop and external hard drive from a Veterans Affairs employee’s Aspen Hill, Md., home.

Last week, VA Secretary Jim Nicholson told Congress that the VA remained hopeful that the May 3 burglary was a random theft, noting there had been no evidence any of the information had been used for identity theft.

Explaining police’s theory in the case, Nicholson said: “They believe that these were young burglars whose goal was to get computers and computer peripheral equipment. And from other houses, like they did this house, they took a laptop and hard drive, and overlooked other valuable or semi-valuable things.”

“They further think that their M.O. is to take these things, clean them up — actually erase them — and then fence them into a market for college campuses and high schools,” he said.

But on Thursday, police in Montgomery County, Md., investigating the theft said that was not necessarily the case.

“It would be wrong to think that this is the only theory being considered,” said spokeswoman Lucille Bauer.

“We still believe there is more of a chance this was a random burglary, but we have no evidence to link this to other cases at this time.

”Veterans groups have criticized the VA for a three-week delay in publicizing the May 3 burglary. The VA disclosed the burglary May 22, saying it involved the names, birth dates and Social Security numbers — and in some cases, disability codes — of veterans discharged since 1975.Since then, it has also acknowledged that phone numbers and addresses of many of those veterans, as well as personal data for 2.2 million active-duty military, Guard and Reserve personnel, also may have been included.

On Thursday, Maryland police began distributing flyers in Aspen Hill offering a $50,000 reward for information related to the stolen Hewlett-Packard laptop and external drive. The FBI, which is also investigating, has noted that “unless the equipment is recovered, veterans will never be certain their personal information is safe.”

People are asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI or 1-866-411-TIPS if anyone purchased after May 3 a secondhand HP Pavilion Notebook Laptop, which it said could be identified as either model number zv5360us or 5300 series, or a HP External Personal Media Drive.

Investigators said it is possible the two items were sold separately. Those who turn in the equipment anonymously also may become eligible for the reward.
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Contributed,
YNCS Don Harribine, USN(ret)