A Montrealer who managed to break into a database containing the personal information of every teacher in Quebec ended up in prison despite hoping to get out by doing community service.
“He stole the personal data of 62,000 people from a government database, he was part of a structured and sophisticated criminal organization,” recalled Judge Suzanne Costom before sentencing Frédéric Lapointe this Tuesday at the Montreal courthouse.
Lapointe, 44, therefore decided to be imprisoned for his crimes, which date back to the fall of 2017. At that time, computer hackers managed to obtain the list of all active and retired teachers in Quebec.
Even NAS
A police investigation led to searches, including one in Lapointe. On site, authorities found lists of more than 62,000 teacher profiles, including their dates of birth and even their social security numbers.
“The negative consequences associated with identity theft […] were well known, the judge recalled. Any one of these people will likely be a victim.”
Also found were two fake driver’s licenses in the name of two teachers but with Lapointe’s photo, as well as fake health insurance cards and even a Social Security card.
These two teachers also testified to the impact this affair had on them.
“The possibility that he could become a victim of identity theft and fraud at any time causes him great concern,” the judge noted, recalling that the second victim “realized that he will never be safe from this type of fraud again .” Incident.
Tempting costly gain
One report said Lapointe acted out of “greed” when he was in financial trouble. So Lapointe was paid $700 per month to keep the data at home. And he had also accessed the ministry’s database at the request of accomplices to retrieve “specific data” for $200 or $300.
But that handful of dollars ultimately cost him his freedom after he pleaded guilty to charges including unauthorized use of a computer and identity theft. This is despite the fact that he said he would be “happy” to do community service for his crime while isolating at home.
Instead, he was sentenced to two years less than a day in prison, followed by a year of probation.
“We are satisfied with the court’s decision, which highlighted the extent of the identity theft in this case and, in particular, the consequences suffered by the victims of the identity theft,” commented Me Geneviève Bélanger of the Crown, who co-officiated with me on the matter Sarah Audrey Daigneault.
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