Former DHS official accused of stealing personal information of government employees

A former Department of Homeland Security official pleaded guilty today to stealing confidential and proprietary software and sensitive US government databases containing employees’ personally identifiable information (PII).

Charles Kumar Edwards, 61, coordinated the program while working for the DHS-OIG (Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General) as an employee and former acting inspector general between February 2008 and December 2013.

Prior to working at DHS-OIG, Edwards also worked at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the US Postal Service – Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG), according to the indictment.

While working at these government agencies, Defendant had access to several software systems and sensitive government databases containing sensitive personally identifiable information of DHS and USPS employees.

In September 2015, “after leaving DHS-OIG, Edwards founded Delta Business Solutions Inc., located in Maryland,” a Department of Justice press release issued today. said.

“From at least 2015 to 2017, he stole software from DHS-OIG, as well as sensitive government databases containing personal identifying information of DHS and USPS employees, so that his company could develop a commercial version of a case management system to be offered for sale to government agencies.”

PII of hundreds of thousands of DHS employees stolen

Two other defendants, former DHS-OIG IT Specialist Murali Yamazula Venkata and DHS-OIG IT Division Enterprise Applications Branch Chief Sonal Patel, allegedly stole copies of database files containing the PII of approximately 246,167 DHS employees and approximately 6,723 USPS employees.

The PIIs were copied from the DHS-OIG EDS system, the DHS-OIG EDS source code including an eSubpoena module, the DHS-OIG database, the STARS database and the PARIS system from the USPS-OIG.

The conspirators also allegedly hijacked key management services code and several activation keys associated with various Microsoft software products.

The stolen PII and Microsoft keys and code were later delivered to Edwards after he quit his job at DHS-OIG.

Edwards also received copies of documents and information from DHS-OIG and USPS-OIG that would help him develop a private and commercial version of a case management system to offer for sale to government agencies.

“Defendant EDWARDS used, possessed, and transferred stolen DHS-OIG and USPS-OIG documents and information, including PII of DHS and USPS employees, to software developers in India who were assisting Defendant EDWARDS in creating and developing a private, commercial version of a case management system to be offered for sale to government agencies for the benefit, enrichment and benefit of Defendant EDWARDS and his company DB,” according to court documents.

“Defendant EDWARDS and VENKATA and Patel concealed their theft and supply of software, source code, databases, documents, information and PII to Defendant EDWARDS by conducting roadside meetings to passing media and equipment to Defendant EDWARDS, emailing materials to their personal email accounts before passing them to Defendant EDWARDS, and concealing from DHS-OIG employees the purpose of their software request.”

Edwards pleaded guilty in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia to conspiracy to commit theft of government property and theft of government property. He will be sentenced later.

A federal district court judge will decide on a sentence for Edwards after considering US sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

Venkata, 56, his co-conspirator, pleaded not guilty to the charges and his case is still pending.