The eiight are out of nine former Vangent Inc. employees accused of accessing the records while working for a Department of Education contractor in Iowa. Gary Grenell, 58, is the ninth defendant, but is currently out of the country and has a court appearance scheduled for 9 a.m. on July 2. The other eight defendants are: Andrew J. Lage, 54, Patrick E. Roan, 51, Sandra Teague, 54, and Mercedes Costoyas, 53, all of Iowa City; Lisa Torney, 49, of Coralville; Anne C. Rhodes, 32, of Ainsworth; Julie L. Kline, 38, of West Branch; and John P. Phommivong, 29, of North Liberty.
All with the exception of Anne Rhodes, who is charged with two counts have been charged with one count of exceeding authorized computer access. If convicted, defendants with one count would face up to one year in prison and up to $100,000 fine. Rhodes could be sentenced for up to two years. Federal authorities have not indicated what the defendants intended to do with the president’s student loan records if obtained. Magistrate Celeste Bremer combined the initial court appearance and arraignment and released the eight on a promise to appear bond. They were also informed that they were being monitored for substance abuse and that they could not leave the state. Based on voting records, four of the indicted are registered as Democrats (Phommivong, Roan, Lage and Kline) and two are registered Republicans (Torney and Grenell).
The action is part of a trend sweeping across the United States that shows a disdain for the office of the President of the United States. From the Birthers — who do not believe President Obama is a citizen of the United States — to Glen Beck who has stated “God” has talked to him and giving him a plan for America which he will release on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 2010 – the same day Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream Speech.” It seems that America, if post racial, was only so during the inauguration. –torrance stephens, ph.d.
For more with Dr. Stephens, visit twitter.com/rawdawgbuffalo and rawdawgb.blogspot.com.
