Prosecutors: Coralville workers accessed Obama’s student loan records
blogs.desmoinesregister.com
Nine employees at an eastern Iowa education contractor accessed President Barack Obama’s student loan records in violation of federal law, prosecutors announced Wednesday.
A federal grand jury in Davenport indicted the workers for “exceeding authorized computer access” at their office in Coralville, prosecutors said in a statement. The company was identified only as a U.S. Department of Education contractor.
Prosecutors say the employees accessed Obama’s student loan records at various times between July 2007 and March 2009, before and after Obama was elected.
None have entered pleas. Arraignments are scheduled for May 24 in U.S. District Court in Davenport.
Prosecutors announced the charges shortly before 6 p.m. Wednesday, and offered few details about the case. U.S. Attorney spokesman Mike Bladel declined to identify the employer or say whether additional charges were pending. The indictments in federal court records did not offer further details.
One of the accused, Julie L. Kline, 38, of West Branch, was listed on Facebook as a supervisor at Vangent Inc. (NCS Pearson) in Coralville from January 2001 to June 2009. The job information was later removed. Calls to spokespeople at Vangent and Pearson were not immediately returned.
Vangent Inc. is a consulting firm that serves the federal government, higher education institutions and corporations. The company was known as Pearson Government Solutions until it was sold in 2007.
The other defendants are:
•Andrew J. Lage, 54, of Iowa City
•Patrick E. Roan, 51, of Iowa City
•Sandra Teague, 54, of Iowa City
•John P. Phommivong, 29, whose last known address was Iowa City
•Anna C. Rhodes, 32, of Ainsworth
•Gary N. Grenell, 58, of Coralville
•Lisa Torney, 49, of Coralville
•Mercedes Costoyas, 53, of Iowa City
Eight of the defendants phoned on Wednesday did not return messages or had disconnected lines. Lage declined to comment. A woman who answered the phone at Kline’s home in West Branch said, “I’ll pass the word along.”
The charge carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. |
