An inmate data breach at the Catoosa County Detention Center was spoiled by investigators, according to Sheriff Gary R. Sisk.
On Feb. 6, a detention officer was utilizing a printed housing sheet in the female cell block that inadvertently included social security numbers and dates of birth. The officer mistakenly left the sheet in the block when he concluded his business.
On Saturday, inmates began telling the detention officers about the housing sheet being left in their cell block and that an inmate had it. The cell block was searched but the housing sheet was not located. Inmates were heard on recorded phone calls telling people about a data breach and that they were going to get "paid" for civil actions. This was apparently an organized effort to leverage this information.
On Monday, a formal investigation began, and several inmates were interviewed, and the group named inmate Sarah Howard as the one having the data. Inmate Howard claimed to have sent the sheet out with an inmate that was released for "safe keeping". Inmate Howard insinuated she would return the data for her release from custody. Investigators located the inmate that was released to another law enforcement agency, and she did not corroborate inmate Howard's story.
On Tuesday, officials began bringing the female inmates out one at a time to allow them to call the credit reporting agencies to freeze their credit as a precautionary measure. Inmates were reporting that inmate Howard still had the housing sheet in her possession.
Inmate Howard was interviewed again and informed her story was not working. Inmate Howard confessed she still had the housing sheet, inside her vagina. She retrieved the housing sheet and returned it to the detention staff.
Inmate Howard is receiving disciplinary action and being considered for criminal action. The other inmates who participated are also being considered for disciplinary action. The detention officer who left the housing sheet was reprimanded for leaving the sheet.