Men Arrested For Breaking Into Iowa Courthouse Were Hired to Conduct Security Testing

Men Arrested For Breaking Into Iowa Courthouse Were Hired to Conduct Security Testing

While the two “penetration testers” were given permission to attempt to break into courthouses, local law enforcement were not informed of the tests. Now, the men are facing charges.

Two men arrested last week for breaking into an Iowa courthouse were hired by the state’s judicial branch to test the “adequacy and effectiveness” of security at government buildings, according to records published by The Des Moines Register.

The ordeal, which ended with Justin Wynn and Gary Demercurio being charged with third-degree burglary, began with the the Iowa Judicial Branch hiring the security firm Coalfire to send “penetration testers” to courthouses and the state Judicial Branch building.

The May 28 contract indicated that Coalfire employees had permission to physically enter the branch building and courthouses in Dallas County and Polk County using methods such as “tail-gating,” or following employees into the building without permission. In addition, Coalfire workers could attempt to dumpster dive and pick locks to get into the buildings.

But when Coalfire asked the government if local law enforcement should be informed of the security tests in advance, the contract indicates that judicial branch information technology director Mark Headlee marked “no.” That decision ultimately led Dallas County Sheriff Chad Leonard to arrest the two men when they broke into the Dallas County Courthouse shortly after midnight on Sept. 11, the Register reported.

Authorities responded to the scene after Wynn and Demercurio triggered an alarm at the courthouse in Adel, Iowa. Police discovered the men taking pictures of the courtrooms and building and holding several burglary tools. Both suspects have bonded out of jail since the arrest.

Chad Leonard, the Dallas County sheriff, said in emails obtained by the Register said that once police caught the men, they were handed a piece of paper containing names and contact information for three state employees in the Judicial Branch. A sergeant called one of the employees and was told the men were legitimate and should be let go.

“I advised them that this building belonged to the taxpayers of Dallas County and the State had no authority to authorize a break-in of this building," Leonard wrote in an email.

Leonard added that the state employee asked him not to tell other sheriffs about the incident. His response was that he was going to tell every sheriff, according to the email.

Wynn and Demercurio’s lawyer, Matthew Lindholm, said his client’s actions were not criminal in intent, according to the Register.

“What is unfortunate is they have been labeled as burglars at this point without all the information being sought and reviewed,” Lindholm said on Wednesday.

A spokesperson for the Judicial Branch had not responded to the Register report as of Wednesday afternoon, but Coalfire did release a statement earlier in the day about the contract.

“Coalfire and State Court Administration believed they were in agreement regarding the physical security assessments for the locations included in the scope of work,” the statement reads. “Yet, recent events have shown that Coalfire and State Court Administration had different interpretations of the scope of the agreement.”

In addition, both the Judicial Branch and Coalfire plan to conduct their own independent reviews and release the contracts signed by both parties, according to the statement.

“We are providing this statement only to clarify an unfortunate set of events; since this is an evolving legal matter and involves confidential client work, we cannot comment on further details of the incident at this time,” Coalfire wrote.

Authorities in Polk County also believe that the Coalfire employees sucessfully broke into their county courthouse the night before their arrest, but no charges have been filed as of Wednesday.

About the Author

Haley Samsel is an Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Evolving Cybersecurity Strategies: Uniting Human Risk Management and Security Awareness Training

    Organizations are increasingly turning their attention to human-focused security approaches, as two out of three (68%) cybersecurity incidents involve people. Threat actors are shifting from targeting networks and systems to hacking humans via social engineering methods, living off human errors as their most prevalent attack vector. Whether manipulated or not, human cyber behavior is leveraged to gain backdoor access into systems. This mainly results from a lack of employee training and awareness about evolving attack techniques employed by malign actors. Read Now

  • Report: 1 in 3 Easily Exploitable Vulnerabilities Found on Cloud Assets

    CyCognito recently released new research highlighting critical security vulnerabilities across cloud-hosted assets, revealing that one in three easily exploitable vulnerabilities or misconfigurations are found on cloud assets. As organizations increasingly shift to multi-cloud strategies, the findings underscore significant security gaps that could provide attackers with potential footholds into networks. Read Now

  • Built for Today, Ready for Tomorrow

    Selecting the right VMS is critical for any organization that depends on video surveillance to ensure safety, security and operational efficiency. While many organizations focus on immediate needs such as budget and deployment size, let us review some of the long-term considerations that can significantly impact a VMS's utility and flexibility. Read Now

  • Paving the Way to Smart Buildings

    In today's rapidly evolving security landscape, the convergence of on-prem, edge and cloud technologies are critical. The physical security landscape is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by the rapid digitalization of buildings and the evolving needs of modern organizations. As the buildings sector pivots towards smart, AI and data-driven operations, the integration of both edge and cloud technology has become crucial. Read Now

  • The Cybersecurity Time Bomb

    If you work in physical security, you have probably seen it: a camera, access control system, or intrusion detection device installed years ago, humming along without a single update. It is a common scenario that security professionals have come to accept as "normal." But here is the reality: this mindset is actively putting organizations at risk. Read Now

New Products

  • Mobile Safe Shield

    Mobile Safe Shield

    SafeWood Designs, Inc., a manufacturer of patented bullet resistant products, is excited to announce the launch of the Mobile Safe Shield. The Mobile Safe Shield is a moveable bullet resistant shield that provides protection in the event of an assailant and supplies cover in the event of an active shooter. With a heavy-duty steel frame, quality castor wheels, and bullet resistant core, the Mobile Safe Shield is a perfect addition to any guard station, security desks, courthouses, police stations, schools, office spaces and more. The Mobile Safe Shield is incredibly customizable. Bullet resistant materials are available in UL 752 Levels 1 through 8 and include glass, white board, tack board, veneer, and plastic laminate. Flexibility in bullet resistant materials allows for the Mobile Safe Shield to blend more with current interior décor for a seamless design aesthetic. Optional custom paint colors are also available for the steel frame.

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles.

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.