WOODBRIDGE – A former Prince William County police officer faces charges after an internal audit found he had used a law enforcement computer system to access personal information of residents, a police spokesman said.
More in a press release:
Computer Invasion of Privacy | Arrest of Former Department Member – On July 29, investigators with the Prince William County Police Department charged a former member in an ongoing investigation stemming from February 2019.
The accused is alleged to have accessed personal, identifiable information of citizens using a law enforcement database, LInX-Law Enforcement Information Exchange, for unauthorized purposes. The inappropriate use of the database was discovered during a routine annual internal audit of usage.
Once the suspected violations were discovered, an administrative and criminal investigation into the matter were launched by the Police Department’s Office of Professional Standards and Criminal Investigations Division.At this time, the information obtained during the searches does not appear to have been used in any fraudulent way by the accused. In April 2019, the accused separated employment from the agency. At the time of his separation, the accused held the rank of a Police Lieutenant with 17 years of service.
During the criminal investigation, the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office was consulted with the details of the case. At the request of the Commonwealth Attorney, the decision was made to have the case handled by a special prosecutor from Fauquier County. In July 2019, at the conclusion of the criminal investigation, the accused, identified as William Martin BURKE, was arrested.Arrested on July 29:
William Martin BURKE, 43, of the 7400 block of Goshen Ct in Manassas
Charged with 5 counts of computer invasion of privacy
Court Date: September 5, 2019 | Bond: Released on Personal Recognizance
The Law Enforcement Internet Exchange is a system launched by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service in 2003 that allows law enforcement to share information between jurisdictions and departments, making it easier to look up past incidents and criminal history.
