DataBreaches.Net

Menu
  • About
  • Breach Notification Laws
  • Privacy Policy
  • Transparency Report
Menu

IRS employee charged with unlawful disclosure of SARs: Analyst Provided Information to a Los Angeles Attorney and a New York Reporter

Posted on February 21, 2019 by Dissent

SAN FRANCISCO – A federal criminal complaint, filed on February 4, 2019, was unsealed in San Francisco today, charging John C. Fry with unlawful disclosure of Suspicious Activity Reports, announced United States Attorney David L. Anderson and United States Department of the Treasury, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), Special Agent in Charge Rod Ammari.

According to the affidavit filed in support of the complaint, Fry, 54, of San Francisco, unlawfully accessed and disclosed Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) and SAR information pertaining to an individual taxpayer and a company owned by the taxpayer.  Fry was an Investigative Analyst for the IRS’s law enforcement arm, the Criminal Investigation Division, in San Francisco.  In this position, Fry had access to various law enforcement databases including the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), Palantir, and the Integrated Data Retrieval System.

The TIGTA investigation revealed that in May 2018, Fry logged on to FinCEN and Palantir from his work computer and conducted numerous searches related to the taxpayer who was a New York attorney.  Fry then disclosed the SAR information to an attorney based in Newport Beach, Calif.  On May 8, 2018, the attorney used a public Twitter account to circulate a dossier releasing confidential banking information related to the taxpayer and the taxpayer’s company.  The SAR information that was passed to the Los Angeles attorney was published in the Washington Post on May 8, 2018.  The Los Angeles attorney put Fry in contact with an investigative reporter in New York which led to confirmation of the confidential banking information and an interview, which was published in The New Yorker on May 16, 2018.

The criminal complaint charges Fry with violating 31 U.S.C. § 5322(a), which prohibits unauthorized disclosure of information from SARs.  Fry appeared before the U.S. Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler in federal court in San Francisco on February 21, 2019.  He was released on a $50,000 bond.  Fry’s next scheduled appearance is scheduled for March 13, 2019, at 9:30 am, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph C. Spero for preliminary hearing or arraignment on indictment.

A complaint merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of five years and a fine of $250,000 for a violation of 31 U.S.C. § 5322.  However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Special Prosecutions/National Security Unit, is prosecuting the case.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the TIGTA.

Further Information:

Case #: 3:19:70176  The complaint can be reviewed here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/press-release/file/1134051/download

Source:  U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of California

Related posts:

  • Data breach affects nearly 900 patients from two San Francisco hospitals
Category: Government SectorInsiderU.S.

Post navigation

← PA: Judge rejects claim by attorneys for former Franklin Regional student charged in cyberattack
California to close data breach notification loopholes under new law →

Now more than ever

"Stand with Ukraine:" above raised hands. The illustration is in blue and yellow, the colors of Ukraine's flag.

Search

Browse by Categories

Recent Posts

  • France issues press statement about arrest of ShinyHunters members
  • Patients Allege Home Delivery Pharmacy Failed to Timely Notify Them of Data Breach
  • Hackers breach Norwegian dam, open valve at full capacity
  • Patient death at London hospital linked to cyber attack on NHS
  • ShinyHunters and team members arrested in France (2)
  • Texas Enacts Liability Shield From Punitive Damages for Certain Small Businesses That Adopt Cybersecurity Programs
  • Dublin ETB fined €125,000 for data protection breaches
  • From $5,000 to $800,000: Days Apart, OCR Security Settlements Show Puzzling Math
  • Liberty Township in Ohio has recovered its network after a ransomware attack
  • Marquette County Medical Care Facility discloses data breach

No, You Can’t Buy a Post or an Interview

This site does not accept sponsored posts or link-back arrangements. Inquiries about either are ignored.

And despite what some trolls may try to claim: DataBreaches has never accepted even one dime to interview or report on anyone. Nor will DataBreaches ever pay anyone for data or to interview them.

Want to Get Our RSS Feed?

Grab it here:

https://databreaches.net/feed/

RSS Recent Posts on PogoWasRight.org

  • How Internet of Things devices affect your privacy – even when they’re not yours
  • Sky Views Personal Data as a Potential Weapon in IPTV Piracy War
  • Florida Used a Nationwide Surveillance Camera Network 250 Times To Aid in Immigration Arrests
  • Federal Court Strikes Down HIPAA Reproductive Health Care Privacy Rule
  • The Markup caught 4 more states sharing personal health data with Big Tech
  • Privacy in the Big Sky State: Montana’s Consumer Privacy Law Gets Amended
  • UK Passes Data Use and Access Regulation Bill

Have a News Tip?

Email: Tips[at]DataBreaches.net

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

Contact Me

Email: info[at]databreaches.net

Mastodon: Infosec.Exchange/@PogoWasRight

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

DMCA Concern: dmca[at]databreaches.net
© 2009 – 2025 DataBreaches.net and DataBreaches LLC. All rights reserved.