Former ADOT employee charged with tampering with MVD files of inmates
Jul 12, 2019, 3:30 PM | Updated: 3:31 pm
(Pexels)
(Pexels)
PHOENIX — A former Arizona Department of Transportation employee has been charged with computer tampering with the Motor Vehicle Division files of 16 prison inmates.
According to court documents, 62-year-old Krag Tedhams was charged this week with the crime.
The individuals whose data was used in the tampering were found to be Department of Corrections inmates at Lewis Prison.
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Between December 4 and January 16, Tedhams was “found to have accessed and queried the motor vehicle records of at least 16 persons without ever speaking to the persons involved.”
One example explained that Tedhams altered one of the records by removing a mandatory driver license suspension code for the individual’s record.
Tedhams was never given an official request to access said files.
The information on the 16 inmates was provided to Tedhams from his son, who is a DOC inmate as well. Tedhams was relayed information on the 16 individuals from his son over prison-recorded telephone conversations.
According to an official statement from ADOT, Tedhams was placed on administrative leave after the department was notified of a possible security issue.
Following an investigation by ADOT’s Officer of Inspector General and the DOC, Tedhams was terminated on March 7.
“ADOT is committed to safeguarding the integrity of driver records and the personal information contained in them, including a case such as this when the alleged tampering was committed by an agency employee,” the statement read. “ADOT detectives are on the lookout for wrongdoing of any kind, will investigate when it is suspected and will refer cases for criminal prosecution when warranted.
“The actions described in the charging documents obviously are wholly inconsistent with ADOT’s business practices and the agency’s core values of accountability, integrity and respect.”
Tedhams’ first court appearance is set for August 15.
KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Nailea Leon contributed to this report.
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