Theft of Vets' Info Happened Three Weeks Ago
May 23, 2006 — -- The laptop and computer disks containing personal information on 26.5 million U.S. veterans were stolen three weeks before the vets were notified or the FBI was told to investigate, the Justice Department said today.
Veterans Affairs officials refuse to say what led to the delay, but the chairman of the Senate's Veterans Affairs Committee is demanding answers.
"I am very frustrated about it. In fact, we will be holding a hearing Thursday," said Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho. "I am very concerned about the timeliness of the alert."
The VA is sending letters to veterans, warning them to be on the lookout for any suspicious financial transactions. If they do see something unusual, they are advised to contact the their financial institutions and one of the three major credit-reporting bureaus.
Some veterans believe all the responsibility is falling on them, with the government doing little to ease their concerns.
"I'd say it's an absolute disgrace," said Bob Wallace, executive director of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. "It's a lack of leadership, management and accountability. It's an absolute embarrassment."
Sources familiar with the investigation say the home of a Veterans Affairs employee in Aspen Hills, Md., was burglarized on May 3. That's when the thief or thieves -- perhaps unwittingly -- walked off with the names, Social Security numbers and birth dates of millions of veterans.
The VA employee, who was suspended for taking the sensitive information home, was apparently quick to inform his superiors.
"I was told that he came forward, and the word was right after it happened," said Craig. "What does that mean? I don't know."
But now the burglars may have gotten a 19-day head start, making an already tough crime even more difficult to solve.
"They are certainly at a disadvantage, because of the time problem," said former FBI official Harry Skip Brandon.
Police say there is no reason to believe the Veterans Affairs employee was targeted specifically, but in the meantime, investigators don't know if America's veterans will have their identities stolen and credit destroyed.
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