Salt Lake IT worker arrested, charged with sharing info on undercover officers | KJZZ
Salt Lake IT worker arrested, charged with sharing info on undercover officers
BY HAYLEY CROMBLEHOLME, KUTV FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22ND 2021
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The clock tower of the Salt Lake City and County Building{ } (City-County Building) at Washington Square downtown. (KUTV)
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SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown called allegations that a city employee accessed the names of undercover officers, metro gang files, and other restricted documents “very concerning.”
The man was identified in a probable cause document as Patrick Driscoll, an IT employee with the city.
Driscoll was investigated by the Utah Attorney General’s Office, but Brown said he was arrested by Salt Lake officers at the Public Safety Building.
He was arrested on charges ranging from computer crimes to exploiting prostitution and theft.
Salt Lake City Public Safety Building (KUTV)
The probable cause affidavit alleged Driscoll accessed police databases to provide information on undercover officers and police operations to aid a man facing charges related to human trafficking and prostitution.
The affidavit further cited information from a victim related to the man facing those charges. The victim identified a “Pat Driscoll” as an associate of the man.
According to the allegation, Driscoll would provide information in exchange for sex acts or money.
Investigators said Driscoll would use the name “The Guardian,” and would provide sensitive information to people involved in illicit activities.
Greg Rogers, a retired FBI agent and private investigator, spent much of his career going undercover.
“The last 15 years of my career was pretty much full-time undercover. That’s what I did,” Rogers told 2News.
During the execution of a search warrant, officials said they discovered electronic storage devices with confidential files at Driscoll’s home that included the names of undercover officers and metro gang files.
Rogers said releasing the names of undercover officers would put them at serious risk.
“I don’t mean to sound melodramatic – people are going to get killed,” he said about the breach.
Rogers said it wouldn’t be hard to find those officers with little information.
“With a name and a number, you can track down anybody anywhere you want,” he said.
Salt Lake IT worker arrested, charged with sharing info on undercover officers
Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown called allegations that a city employee accessed the names of undercover officers, metro gang files, and other restricted documents “very concerning.” (KUTV)
Their families could also be put at risk, he said.
“When you’re an undercover operative and you have, you know, a significant other, you may have a family – you worry about that all the time,” Rogers said.
The officer that filed the probable cause statement said they were able to confirm that Driscoll is an IT employee with Salt Lake City Corporation, “and did have full access to the police department as well as all city and law enforcement databases.”
Other information could also be at risk.
“This is a common thing that we call ‘insider threat,’” said Justin Giboney, an associate professor if Information Systems at Brigham Young University.
2News asked Giboney if city residents’ or other employees’ information be unsafe.
“Definitely,” he said. “At some point, someone in the city has access to all this information.”
The flag of Salt Lake City hangs at the City-County Building at Washington Square in downtown. (KUTV)
Without knowing specifics about the case or the employee, Giboney said it’s hard to know what could have been exposed.
“It’s hard to know where this IT employee sits and what information they could have access to,” he said.
At a certain point, a threat from inside can’t be thwarted. It can come down to the decisions of an employee.
“Anything that the city collects, someone has access to all of that information,” Giboney said. “At some point, you just have to trust that that person is going to do good things with, or at least not do bad things, with that information.”
The probable cause statement did not say that Driscoll admitted to accessing city databases from home, but claimed the information he passed on was not legitimate.
Officials requested that Driscoll be held without bail, in part because there was a concern that he has the knowledge and the means to shut down all city IT services.
It was also estimated the cost to the city and other public safety entities to be, “in excess of $5,000 USD.”
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall released a statement after Driscoll’s arrest.
“While I cannot comment directly on this ongoing investigation, I will say I am deeply troubled by the circumstances and information surrounding the arrest of a Salt Lake City Corporation IMS employee.
“Salt Lake City Corporation is in full cooperation with the Utah Attorney General’s Office and the employee is on administrative leave pending potential disciplinary action. I’m urging the HR department to move through the disciplinary process quickly to ensure this is resolved as fast as possible.”
2News learned Driscoll worked at the Canyon School District before his job in Salt Lake. A district official confirmed his employment, but said he resigned in 2018. There was no information to indicate if there were any kinds of data breaches at that time.
BY HAYLEY CROMBLEHOLME, KUTV FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22ND 2021
City-County Building
The clock tower of the Salt Lake City and County Building{ } (City-County Building) at Washington Square downtown. (KUTV)
thumb_135382.png
thumb_134616.png
thumb_140181.png
thumb_139918.png
VIEW PHOTO GALLERY
5 photos
share now!
tweet now!
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown called allegations that a city employee accessed the names of undercover officers, metro gang files, and other restricted documents “very concerning.”
The man was identified in a probable cause document as Patrick Driscoll, an IT employee with the city.
Driscoll was investigated by the Utah Attorney General’s Office, but Brown said he was arrested by Salt Lake officers at the Public Safety Building.
He was arrested on charges ranging from computer crimes to exploiting prostitution and theft.
Salt Lake City Public Safety Building (KUTV)
The probable cause affidavit alleged Driscoll accessed police databases to provide information on undercover officers and police operations to aid a man facing charges related to human trafficking and prostitution.
The affidavit further cited information from a victim related to the man facing those charges. The victim identified a “Pat Driscoll” as an associate of the man.
According to the allegation, Driscoll would provide information in exchange for sex acts or money.
Investigators said Driscoll would use the name “The Guardian,” and would provide sensitive information to people involved in illicit activities.
Greg Rogers, a retired FBI agent and private investigator, spent much of his career going undercover.
“The last 15 years of my career was pretty much full-time undercover. That’s what I did,” Rogers told 2News.
During the execution of a search warrant, officials said they discovered electronic storage devices with confidential files at Driscoll’s home that included the names of undercover officers and metro gang files.
Rogers said releasing the names of undercover officers would put them at serious risk.
“I don’t mean to sound melodramatic – people are going to get killed,” he said about the breach.
Rogers said it wouldn’t be hard to find those officers with little information.
“With a name and a number, you can track down anybody anywhere you want,” he said.
Salt Lake IT worker arrested, charged with sharing info on undercover officers
Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown called allegations that a city employee accessed the names of undercover officers, metro gang files, and other restricted documents “very concerning.” (KUTV)
Their families could also be put at risk, he said.
“When you’re an undercover operative and you have, you know, a significant other, you may have a family – you worry about that all the time,” Rogers said.
The officer that filed the probable cause statement said they were able to confirm that Driscoll is an IT employee with Salt Lake City Corporation, “and did have full access to the police department as well as all city and law enforcement databases.”
Other information could also be at risk.
“This is a common thing that we call ‘insider threat,’” said Justin Giboney, an associate professor if Information Systems at Brigham Young University.
2News asked Giboney if city residents’ or other employees’ information be unsafe.
“Definitely,” he said. “At some point, someone in the city has access to all this information.”
The flag of Salt Lake City hangs at the City-County Building at Washington Square in downtown. (KUTV)
Without knowing specifics about the case or the employee, Giboney said it’s hard to know what could have been exposed.
“It’s hard to know where this IT employee sits and what information they could have access to,” he said.
At a certain point, a threat from inside can’t be thwarted. It can come down to the decisions of an employee.
“Anything that the city collects, someone has access to all of that information,” Giboney said. “At some point, you just have to trust that that person is going to do good things with, or at least not do bad things, with that information.”
The probable cause statement did not say that Driscoll admitted to accessing city databases from home, but claimed the information he passed on was not legitimate.
Officials requested that Driscoll be held without bail, in part because there was a concern that he has the knowledge and the means to shut down all city IT services.
It was also estimated the cost to the city and other public safety entities to be, “in excess of $5,000 USD.”
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall released a statement after Driscoll’s arrest.
“While I cannot comment directly on this ongoing investigation, I will say I am deeply troubled by the circumstances and information surrounding the arrest of a Salt Lake City Corporation IMS employee.
“Salt Lake City Corporation is in full cooperation with the Utah Attorney General’s Office and the employee is on administrative leave pending potential disciplinary action. I’m urging the HR department to move through the disciplinary process quickly to ensure this is resolved as fast as possible.”
2News learned Driscoll worked at the Canyon School District before his job in Salt Lake. A district official confirmed his employment, but said he resigned in 2018. There was no information to indicate if there were any kinds of data breaches at that time.
