iowa judicial branch

Security Testers Charged With Breaking Into Iowa Courthouses Cleared Of All Criminal Charges

The two men, who worked for Coalfire Labs, were caught up in a miscommunication between local law enforcement and the Iowa judicial branch, which hired the security firm to conduct testing.

Two penetration testers employed by Coalfire Labs, a security firm, were cleared of all criminal charges on Thursday after they were arrested and jailed in September for breaking into an Iowa courthouse -- a task they were hired to do in a contract signed by the Iowa judicial system.

Justin Wynn and Gary De Mercurio had been charged with third-degree burglary and possession of burglary tools after they were caught attempting to break into the Dallas County Courthouse last year. Upon the police’s arrival, the two men informed law enforcement that they were breaking in as part of security testing for Iowa’s court system, according to The Des Moines Register.

However, local law enforcement were unaware of these plans and said that the State Court Administration lacked the authority to allow the testers to enter the property. Wynn and De Mercurio spent more than 12 hours in jail until they were released on bail.

Since then, the court system has said that the Coalfire employees acted outside of the scope of the contract and that they had been hired to find cybersecurity vulnerabilities, not break into courthouses. But the security firm said that it was following through on a contract to test the security of government buildings and outside access to records.

The chief justice of the Iowa Supreme Court apologized to legislators and the public for the mishandling of the contract in October. Following a senate hearing, the judicial branch released new policies on security tests, with one requirement to notify local law enforcement prior to testing.

After news of the contract between Coalfire and the Iowa government became public, Dallas County Attorney Charles Sinnard reduced the charges against Wynn and De Mercurio to trespassing but continued to prosecute. On Thursday, Coalfire leaders and Sinnard announced that the charges had been officially dropped.

“Ultimately, the long-term interests of justice and protection of the public are not best served by continued prosecution of the trespass charges,” Coalfire officials and Sinnard wrote in a joint statement published by Ars Technica. “Those interests are best served by all the parties working together to ensure that there is clear communication on the actions to be taken to secure the sensitive information maintained by the Judicial Branch, without endangering the life or property of the citizens of Iowa, law enforcement or the persons carrying out the testing.”

Coalfire CEO Tom McAndrew added that he hopes a “a new dialogue now begins with a focus on improving best practices and elevating the alignment between security professionals and law enforcement.”

De Mercurio and Wynn’s lawyer, Matthew Linholm, said in a statement that he was frustrated that his clients were ever arrested for doing their jobs and that the felony arrests will remain on their permanent record.

“This entire ordeal could have been avoided by simply respecting the fact finding that the responding law enforcement officer conducted which verified the work was authorized by the Judicial Branch,” Linholm said. “Unfortunately, the lack of communication between government entities, an ignorance of the law, personal pride and politics overrode the objective investigation conducted by responding law enforcement.”

He added that the two men plan to share their experiences in an “effort to help educate others” on security testing and the consequences of their ordeal.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Security Today Announces The Govies Government Security Award Winners for 2025

    Security Today is pleased to announce the 2025 winners in The Govies Government Security Awards. The awards honor outstanding government security products in a variety of categories. Read Now

  • Survey: 60 Percent of Organizations Using AI in IT Infrastructure

    Netwrix, a cybersecurity provider focused on data and identity threats, today announced the release of its annual global 2025 Cybersecurity Trends Report based on a global survey of 2,150 IT and security professionals from 121 countries. It reveals that 60% of organizations are already using artificial intelligence (AI) in their IT infrastructure and 30% are considering implementing AI. Read Now

  • New Research Reveals Global Video Surveillance Industry Perspectives on AI

    Axis Communications, the global industry leader in video surveillance, has released its latest research report, ‘The State of AI in Video Surveillance,’ which explores global industry perspectives on the use of AI in the security industry and beyond. The report reveals current attitudes on AI technologies thanks to in-depth interviews with AI experts from Axis’ global network and a comprehensive survey of more than 5,800 respondents, including distributors, channel partners, and end customers across 68 countries. The resulting insights cover AI integration and the opportunities and challenges that exist with regard to security, safety, business intelligence, and operational efficiency. Read Now

  • SIA Urges Tariff Relief for Security Industry Products

    Today, the Security Industry Association has sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick requesting relief from tariffs for security industry products and asking that the Trump administration formulate a process that allows companies to apply for product-specific exemptions. The security industry is an important segment of the U.S. economy, contributing over $430 billion in total economic impact and supporting over 2.1 million jobs. Read Now

  • Report Shows Cybercriminals Continue Pivot to Stealthier Tactics

    IBM recently released the 2025 X-Force Threat Intelligence Index highlighting that cybercriminals continued to pivot to stealthier tactics, with lower-profile credential theft spiking, while ransomware attacks on enterprises declined. IBM X-Force observed an 84% increase in emails delivering infostealers in 2024 compared to the prior year, a method threat actors relied heavily on to scale identity attacks. 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.

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.

  • 4K Video Decoder

    3xLOGIC’s VH-DECODER-4K is perfect for use in organizations of all sizes in diverse vertical sectors such as retail, leisure and hospitality, education and commercial premises.