|
Attorney General Press Release
December 17, 2004
Lansing, MI – Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox
announced today that he has charged four persons with participating in a scheme
to obtain and sell stolen or illegally manufactured Motorola radios and to
program those radios to access the Michigan State Police 800 MHz radio system.
The 800 MHz system is a secure private radio system that can only be accessed by
law enforcement or other public service agencies that have been authorized to
use it.
The charges were filed in the 61st District Court in Grand Rapids.
Those charged are Andrew John Felde, 41, of Grand Rapids, Michigan; James Edward
Werner, 38, of Rockford, Michigan; James Benjamin Brunk, 44, of Cadillac,
Michigan; and Jerry Lee Frick, 63, of Walkerville, Michigan.
The charges allege that Felde obtained either stolen or illegally manufactured
Motorola radios. Werner and Brunk, who were Michigan State Police civilian
employees, aided Felde in his efforts to program the radios to access the 800
MHz system by providing him with otherwise unobtainable computer software and
templates for the radios so that they would operate on the system. Frick, who is
the chief of the Walkerville Fire Department, then purchased at half-price three
of these radios from Felde, in part with grant money obtained by submitting a
fraudulent invoice to Mason/Oceana 911.
"In today's atmosphere where homeland security is paramount, law
enforcement agencies must be able to communicate without the possibility that
others can eavesdrop and hear communications to which they should not be
privy," Cox said. "The 800 MHz system is designed so that law
enforcement and other governmental agencies can communicate with each other
without concern that lawbreakers and others can overhear those conversations. In
this case, efforts were made to compromise the system. It is fortunate these
efforts were stopped before any damage to the system occurred," Cox added.
Felde is charged with one count of receiving and concealing stolen property
between $1,000 and $20,000; one count of fraudulently accessing a computer
network to obtain between $1,000 and $20,000; and one count of unauthorized
access to a computer network, all five-year felonies; and one count of receiving
and concealing stolen property over $20,000; and one count of using a computer
to commit a ten-year felony, both ten-year felonies.
Werner is charged with one count of embezzlement by an agent or trustee between
$1,000 and $20,000; one count of fraudulently accessing a computer network to
obtain between $1,000 and $20,000; and one count of unauthorized access to a
computer network, all five-year felonies.
Brunk is charged with one count of fraudulently accessing a computer network to
obtain between $1,000 and $20,000; and one count of unauthorized access to a
computer network, both five-year felonies.
Frick is charged with one count of uttering and publishing, a fourteen-year
felony; and one count of misconduct in office, a five-year felony.
-- 30 --
For further
information contact: Randall Thompson
517-373-8060 (Office)
State of Michigan, Department of Attorney General
|
