Buried.News

18 U.S.C. § 641 — Theft/conversion of government property or records

• Allegation that a former SSA/DOGE engineer removed “tightly restricted” SSA databases (Numident and Master Death File) and stored them on a thumb drive supports theft/conversion of U.S. government records/information.
• Reported intent to use the databases at a new employer strengthens inference of knowing conversion “to his use” or unauthorized control.

18 U.S.C. § 1030 (CFAA) — Unauthorized access / exceeding authorized access to protected computers

• Claimed possession of restricted SSA databases and “God-level” access suggests access beyond authorized need-to-know and potential extraction of data from SSA systems.
• Moving data to removable media (thumb drive) and planned use at a contractor supports obtaining information from a government protected computer without authorization or by exceeding authorized access.

18 U.S.C. § 1905 — Disclosure of confidential information

• Numident/Master Death File contain sensitive personal identifiers (SSNs, DOB, citizenship, etc.); unauthorized removal and contemplated use at a private company indicates prohibited disclosure/misuse of confidential government-held information.
• Even absent proof of external distribution yet, the alleged taking and intended utilization at a new employer evidences wrongful disclosure/use.

Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. § 552a(i) — Criminal penalties for willful disclosure/maintenance violations

• Alleged willful removal/possession of SSA system-of-records data (SSNs and related identifiers) and intent to use it outside SSA supports potential willful disclosure/use contrary to the Act.
• Scope (potentially hundreds of millions of records) magnifies culpability and investigative urgency.

18 U.S.C. § 1832 — Theft of trade secrets (limited fit)

• If the databases or compilation methods were treated as proprietary/valuable information of SSA with confidentiality controls, unauthorized taking for use at a contractor could be explored, though the core harm is personal data theft rather than classic trade secrets.