MICHIGAN COMPUTERS STOLEN FROM OFFICES Police: Break-ins likley unrelated to identify theft

Police: Break-ins likley unrelated to identify theft
Monday, January 18, 2006

By Heather L. VanDyke
CHRONICLE STAFF WRITER

The arrest of a suspect for break-ins at a Norton Shores professional building is a relief to police, and not just because they believe they may have solved the crimes.

They now are convinced the suspect and an alleged accomplice were not involved in an identity theft scheme. Among the items stolen from offices in the Seminole Shores Professional Building was paperwork that likely included health insurance information and Social Security numbers.

Police believe those break-ins may be related to the theft earlier this week of cash and computers from three offices, at least some related to the medical field, at the Alstrom Building, another Norton Shores professional building, at 4265 Grand Haven.

In all, about 10 offices have been burglarized.

A break in the Seminole Shores case came on Tuesday when police arrested a 35-year-old man for safe breaking on an unrelated crime. He admitted to breaking into the Ottawa County Health Department on Thursday, stealing a safe and taking the safe back to Norton Shores where he opened it. The safe was recovered by State Police.

That suspect also is being investigated for possible involvement in the breaking and enterings and thefts of cash and paperwork from six offices at the Seminole Shores Professional Building, 427 Seminole, earlier this month.

Police said the suspect's alleged accomplice in the Ottawa County safe theft has admitted to breaking into Seminole Shores. The 40-year-old suspect agreed to cooperate with police, but failed to show up for a later appointment with them, said Norton Shores Detective Gerald Mack. He remains at large.
Norton Shores Patrol Lt. Jon Gale said investigators had been concerned whether the thieves' goal was identity theft or a plan to sell computer equipment on the streets.

"Any time identification numbers or medical records are stolen it is definitely a concern," Gale said. "If they're computer savvy and they know how to create identities, it definitely could be a gold mine (for the suspects)."

Mack said both suspects have an "admitted drug problem" and police believe they were selling the computer equipment for cash. Mack said at this time police are "not really concerned" with the possibility of identity theft as a motive.

The two suspects have been "working together" for a while, and the 40-year-old suspect was on parole at the time he broke into the Ottawa County Health Department, Mack said. Mack said he served five years in prison for breaking into a professional building and into several churches near Seminole Road.

The Alstrom Building break-ins were discovered by an employee just before 8 a.m. Monday.

Cash and computer equipment were taken from the offices of Dr. James Wiaduck, Psychiatric Physicians PLLC; Creative Benefit Systems; and Access Home Care. Gale said the break-ins occurred late Sunday night or early Monday.

Gale said clients and patients from the targeted offices are likely concerned about the release of confidential information.

"Most of the time doctors will contact their patients and let them know it happened," Gale said.

That was the case in at least one of the offices that was burglarized. A woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said her husband received a call from his employer who told him the company's life insurance provider had advised employers to put a "fraud alert" on their credit cards and other related financial accounts.

Gale said entrance into the Alstrom Building was gained through a rear door of the building. Suspects smashed out a window near the door and reached in and opened the door through the window, Gale said.

From there, the suspects entered Creative Benefit Systems, where a computer was removed, and then entered Wiaduck's office where petty cash was taken.

Gale said suspects then forced their way into Access Home Care and took computers and cash.

Paula Williams, operations supervisor for Access Home Care, said Tuesday the computer that was stolen had information "locked" under a system password. Besides, she said it didn't contain patient information.

Gale said it is likely the Alstrom breaking and enterings are related to thefts at Seminole Shores and possibly the theft of a bank bag inside a separate medical building less than a half-mile away.

"We're still following up on leads. We're comparing fingerprints with (suspects in similar cases elsewhere) and running those through the system to find a match," Gale said.

Gale said cash from six separate businesses inside Seminole Shores was stolen on Jan. 9 or Jan. 10. A bank bag was stolen from inside the office of Norton Family Practice PC, 3535 Park, around 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 11, when the assistant office manager had momentarily left the room.

Cash, personal insurance checks and office paperwork were inside the stolen bank bag from Norton Family Practice, according to a police report.

The businesses burglarized at the Seminole Shores Professional Building were: Family Dentistry; Great Lakes Internal Medicine; Greenpath Debt Solutions; Net Life Financial; West Coast Pediatrics; and Sylvan Learning Centers of Michigan. No computers or paperwork was taken.

Gale said the suspect or suspects pried open the back door of the two-story building.

An employee with Greenpath Debt Solutions said the office's "client information was secured" and no billing-related information had been taken.

Police managed to lift fingerprints, and a flashlight left behind by a suspect was taken into the department's crime lab as well, Gale said.