NEWS MAIN
Walter Reed: Files Found In Dumpster Meant For Shredding
SILVER SPRING, Md. -- Files containing personal information that were found in a Dumpster in Wheaton Friday apparently were supposed to be shredded, authorities said on Monday.
Almost a dozen boxes of what appeared to be medical records were found behind an apartment complex. Barry Boyd said he stumbled upon the files, along with several audiotapes, in the 3300 block of Weeping Willow Court. What worried him most, he said, was the sensitive information left vulnerable to anyone who came across it.
Authorities said the forms were related to the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research located in Silver Spring. Authorities notified the WRAIR but kept the files for investigation.
Authorities determined that WRAIR officials had ordered an employee to shred the files. WRAIR is investigating why that order was not carried out.
Police said there was no criminal intent and no charges will be filed. The boxes of documents, which were from the late 1990s, have been returned to WRAIR.
Boyd said he took into account identity theft and called police around 1:30 p.m. Friday. He said the boxes were pulled from the Dumpster and hauled away by Montgomery County police, but officers found more files and tapes only a few hours later.
Because the boxes of files were found intact, police said they did not believe that any of the personal information contained in them was obtained by anyone else. Detectives confirmed that the Dumpster was emptied Thursday and that the boxes of files must have been placed in the Dumpster Friday morning.
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Confidata document destruction located in Utica New York, is a member of NAID and follows FACTA and HIPAA records destruction requirements. CONFIDATA is a division of Empire Recycling Corporation
Confidata
N. Genesee & Lee Streets
PO Box 353 | Utica, NY 13503
Hours of Operation
Monday - Friday
7:30 to 4 PM
Phone: 1-800-62-SHRED
Fax: (315) 724-0167