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Election Commission laptop harddrive found
Metro Police confirmed late Thursday they have recovered the hard drive from the laptop computer, containing names and complete Social Security numbers for 337,000 registered voters, that was stolen from the Election Commission in December.
Police said Election Commission staff viewed and confirmed the information stored on the seized hard drive came from the stolen computer that gave them the most concern.
Officials did not disclose where the hard drive, a router and other computer components were found, citing the ongoing investigation. Police do not yet know if any of the other seized equipment — including additional hard drives — came from a second malfunctioning laptop also stolen from the Election Commission.
Computer experts have begun the process of examining the files and data components to determine if they have been accessed or tampered with, according to police.
Detectives are “vigorously” pursuing leads and expect to make additional arrests in the case, according to a news release.
The main suspect in the case, Robert Osbourne, admitted to police Thursday that he broke into the Davidson County Election Commission Dec. 24.
Osbourne, 45, is believed to be homeless, according to police, and has been in and out of the Union Rescue Mission in recent weeks.
He is a parolee with convictions beginning in the 1980s. He was sentenced to nine years in 2004 for a theft of property conviction in Marshall County and released on parole Oct. 30, 2007.
Osbourne was arrested in Nashville as recently as Jan. 4 for trespassing. He received a four-day sentence. And on Jan. 7, Osbourne received a state misdemeanor citation for possession of drug paraphernalia.
Police said early in the investigation that DNA evidence was recovered at the crime scene, and in a press conference Wednesday said that DNA was linked to Osbourne, helping them pinpoint the suspect.
Metro Council members and state legislators have been calling for an increased examination into security measures at the Election Commission and other Metro buildings since the break-in.
Mayor Karl Dean received a security inventory of every Metro department Monday and is analyzing the results, according to spokesperson Janel Lacy.
The security company that contracts with Metro to provide guards, Wackenhut Corp., is facing at least one lawsuit to cover damages caused by the break-in in the amount of $100,000. At least one security guard has been fired following the break-in.
The city is also offering free identity theft protection for one year for the 337,000 registered voters who had their information stolen. Letters should be reaching voters no later than the end of this week with instructions on how to sign up for the service.
Metro stands to pay at least $1 million for the service out of reserve funds.
Osbourne is being held in the Metro jail in lieu of $80,000 bond.
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It was reported last night on the news that 90% of the people that are homeless on the streets today are homeless because of addictions. For the safety of everyone MNPD needs to make drug dealing on the streets a number #1 priority. This will reduce the crime and homelessness.
If he had served more then 1/3 rd of his sentence he would not have been on the street breaking into places and getting arrested 2 more times.
OK...who is going to be arrested for purchasing the hardware? Someone paid this piece of feces for the stuff he stole, so someone at this busines needs to be sharing the jail cell with him.
There's no profit in drug enforcement. Lots of revenue to be gained in ticketing taxpayers who make an honest living, though.
Junebug, what is it about illegal that you don't understand?
Funny how everyone went crazy about the ss#s when we all knew is was going to be some homeless crack head that wanted to sell the computer for $30. It was not an international conspiracy to obtain voter information.
True big papa, but, we didn’t know where the computers were going to end up. We still don’t know where the hard drive separation took place who looked at what before the computer was broken down. Funny thing is that the hard drive was worth more in the computer than out.
Hokey, my statement wasn't meant to be taken literally, but facetiously. I was merely pointing out the fact that Serpas is not interested in getting the drug dealers off the street as that wouldn't create revenue for the city as do his precious speed traps, which though touted by him as a safety and not a money issue, have been shown to have not actually decrease safety at all, but to dramatically increase revenue. I work near a Nashville housing project which is notoriously one of the worst in the city for drug/crime activity. Kids standing in the streets every day, out of school, no job, selling drugs. Even when a speed trap is set up there (which I support 100% as there are always children present), the drug transactions still take place with no fear from the dealers, with a police cruiser in plain sight. Like I said, it's not a priority. It's all about $$$.
I would disagree on the "no profit in drug enforcement" comment. Actually, huge sums of money are frequently confiscated along with the drugs, cars, homes, and boats.
That is on the large scale busts of the major distributors, which are few and far between. I'm talking about the core problem of the hundreds of small time dealers on the streets that BADCOPS mentioned earlier, whose tranactions take place right under the nose of police, and is unfortunately too often ignored.
Drug enforcement is a tough and dangerous job but it needs to be done. It's not just a few aging crackheads, a whole new generation of criminals is coming into the system and there will be no place to put them (that's why they get out early). And a continued emphasis on making life miserable for gang members is needed. More preventive measures are needed too, such as education and awareness programs and giving these kids something to do and something to strive for. The 'build more jails' solution is just as expensive and not as effective, especially when these clowns get a 'criminal education class' in jail and then are released early because there's no place to keep them.Homeless persons like Osbourne are also a by-product of their being ignored for political expedience. Not only are many addicts, but many are mentally ill and were tossed into the streets during the 'Reagan Revolution'. Instead our government wastes money on profiteering military adventurism and pork barrel projects. In this case we don't know if the hard drive was compromised or not. When one of us finds a plane ticket to Aruba on our next credit card statement then we'll know.
I certainly don't know how to fix the problem, and apperantly neither does Serpas.
"Not only are many addicts, but many are mentally ill and were tossed into the streets during the 'Reagan Revolution'. "There have ALWAYS been bums, but the crazy drug addicts that roam the streets now are due to liberal policies regarding institutionalization. Reagan had NOTHING to do with some idiot drug addict psycho chosing to live in the street.
ms. truth.... he`s out cause of BLEEDING HEART LIBERALS..such as your self.... No yor leberbal congress threw them on the street...Not Reagan... damn the "truth" just ain`t in a leberal.....
Institutions were closed due to abuse because they were not being regulated. Instead of setting up ways to monitor the institutions, they were simply shut down instead and yes, many mentally ill people were just tossed out to the street.
It's not a political issue as many of you try to make everything, but a product mainly of population growth, and the resulting changes in society as a whole. If you want to make it a political issue, then you would have to blame the Democrats, since the Republicans are by self proclamation the "morally correct" party. Good thing these young kids in question look to the White House instead of their parent(s) & God for their moral guidance & family values. I know I sure do.
I understand that the person who broke the "House Rules" and left the lap top out, has still not been fired. If you cannot be fired for this transgression and its associated cost of several hundred thousand dollars....you probably cannot be fired from Metro Government.
"...the fact that Serpas is not interested in getting the drug dealers off the street..."Is that to be taken literally or facetiously?
The "the hundreds of small time dealers" work cheap and are easily replaced. Hunting them down and locking them up won't change much.
"Good thing these young kids in question look to the White House instead of their parent(s) & God for their moral guidance & family values. I know I sure do."Is that to be taken literally or facetiously?
"Hunting them down and locking them up won't change much." Ever been anywhere near a housing project, Hokey? Ever seen someone from another county attempting to buy a bag of weed from one of these brazen kids, only to be shot in the leg twice, barely missing their femoral artery, then run into your workplace and collapse on the floor while calling for help? Ever had to clean their blood off of your floor? I have. As for your questions about whether statements are to be taken literally or facetiously, the first one is literal, the second facetious. If you need any more help figuring things out, just let me know. Glad to help.
Hokey, BTW - just because you didn't hear about this on your evening newscast or read about it in the paper doesn't mean it didn't happen. It happens every day. The liberal media just is just trying to protect your sensitive ears/eyes.
Anna3 - I agree with you! With the same hap-hazard employees & director still on the job, what will be the next big flub? Evidently, Metro condones this ineptness! OO is it WHO you know?
Junebug, I used to live next door to a drug dealer in East Nashville. People were coming and going all the time. One morning we woke up to find a dead guy lying between our houses. The family broke up when the husband threw his wife through a plate glass window. Both are gone now and it is my understanding that the problems with illegal drug sales are unabated in East Nashville.Thank's for the "liberal media" remark. That pretty much tells me all I need to know about you.
If the borders were closed, there would be no crack to buy, sell or use. But, I guess no one wants to do that. Too much money involved in black market labor and black market drugs.
Even easier, stop American companies from exporting the the chemicals necessary to convert coca leaves into cocaine hydrochloride.Perhaps the Columbians would go elsewhere for their supplies, but they should NOT get them from us.
TRHJR, your post says everything about the intelligence behind your point of view. Buy a spellchecker.
I guess those of us who want police to crack down on drugs and gangs are 'leberbals'.