NEW YORK - An NYPD detective is accused of hacking into department computers and obtaining information about dozens of people including co-workers.
Edwin Vargas was arrested by the FBI on Tuesday outside his home in Bronxville, N.Y., said Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara.
Vargas is accused of paying more than $4,000 to an e-mail hacking service for the log-ins, passwords and usernames of at least 43 personal email accounts and one cellular phone belonging to 30 different NYPD employees including current officers, a retired cop and a member of the administrative staff.
The information which was found on Vargas' NYPD computer's hard drive was used to create a list of email-addresses, telephone numbers, home addresses and passwords for email addresses, said officials.
"When law enforcement officers break the laws they are sworn to uphold, they do a disservice to their fellow officers, to the Department, and to the public they serve, and it will not be tolerated,"said Bharara.
Vargas also accessed the National Crime Information Center database to obtain information about at least two NYPD officers, said Bharara.
Vargas is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit computer hacking and one count of computer hacking. Each count carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison.
Edwin Vargas was arrested by the FBI on Tuesday outside his home in Bronxville, N.Y., said Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara.
Vargas is accused of paying more than $4,000 to an e-mail hacking service for the log-ins, passwords and usernames of at least 43 personal email accounts and one cellular phone belonging to 30 different NYPD employees including current officers, a retired cop and a member of the administrative staff.
The information which was found on Vargas' NYPD computer's hard drive was used to create a list of email-addresses, telephone numbers, home addresses and passwords for email addresses, said officials.
"When law enforcement officers break the laws they are sworn to uphold, they do a disservice to their fellow officers, to the Department, and to the public they serve, and it will not be tolerated,"said Bharara.
Vargas also accessed the National Crime Information Center database to obtain information about at least two NYPD officers, said Bharara.
Vargas is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit computer hacking and one count of computer hacking. Each count carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison.
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