Tip uncovers stolen VA laptop

FBI official says the personal information of 26.5 million appears safe

Wednesday, July 5, 2006

by C. Benjamin Ford

Staff Writer

A tipster called a U.S. Park Police detective last week and said she had the missing Department of Veteran Affairs computer whose theft represents one of the largest breaches of personal-identity security in the nation’s history.

The detective, who knew the woman from other cases, picked up the laptop computer and external hard drive and took it to the Federal Bureau of Investigation office in Baltimore last week.

At a news conference last week, FBI, U.S. Park Police and Montgomery County Police offered few details about how the computer came to the woman, whether she would receive the $50,000 reward or if they have any suspects in the May 3 burglary.

The stolen laptop contained the Social Security numbers and other personal information of 26.5 million veterans and active military personnel.

The personal information appeared safe, but the FBI’s computer forensic team is still analyzing the equipment and data to confirm that, police and FBI officials said Monday.

Bill Chase, the FBI special agent in charge of the Baltimore office, said preliminary examination showed the file with the personal information had not been opened.

It is possible the burglar did not know the computer contained the information and never tried to open the file, he said.

The burglary from a VA official’s home in the Aspen Hill area of Montgomery County had prompted concerns the information could make millions of veterans and their family members vulnerable to identity theft.

Unlike the loss of the computer, which VA officials did not disclose until three weeks after the burglary, federal officials were quick to announce the return of the computer.

However, police and FBI agents praised the cooperation of the media in helping to find the computer.

The woman who turned over the laptop was not certain she had the missing computer — police would not say how she obtained it — but she was suspicious enough because of the news reports to call the detective, said Lt. Eric Burnett, a spokesman for the Montgomery County Police.

The investigation into the burglary is continuing, Burnett said.

‘‘It’s still our responsibility to arrest somebody,” he said.

The VA and the FBI offered a $50,000 reward for the return of the laptop computer and external hard drive.

The personal information stored on the equipment included the names, Social Security numbers, home addresses, birth dates and disability ratings of 26.5 million veterans, including everyone discharged since 1975.