Pair given probation for selling information

A former supervisor with the St. Tammany District Attorney’s Office and a local private investigator were each sentenced to three years’ probation by U.S. District Court Judge Martin Feldman Thursday for conspiracy to exceed authorized access to a governmental computer.

According to court records, Vicky L. Munn, 42, of Traverse City, Mich., sold over 48 criminal records to Todd Kelly, 40, of River Ridge for $7,380 between 2003 and 2004.

In 2003, Munn was the supervisor of the Worthless Check Division in the St. Tammany District Attorney’s Office. Kelly was the operator of the Barnett Group, a private investigation firm that operated out of Covington.

Munn had access to the FBI-operated National Crime Information Center computer, and she was able to get NCIC accounts with Social Security numbers, bank statements and other private information. She sold this information to Kelly, who used to in his investigations.

Under federal law, only legitimate law enforcement personnel can use the NCIC database, and private investigators are not considered legitimate law enforcement associations.

The FBI started an investigation of the pair in 2004, and St. Tammany District Attorney Walter Reed put Munn on suspension in May 2004. She was fired Sept. 17, 2004. U.S. Attorney Jim Letten said earlier this year the investigation showed that none of the district attorney’s files were compromised.

The two were indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2008, and under a plea agreement with U.S. Attorney Jim Letten they both pled guilty to conspiracy to buying and selling criminal records in January of this year. Under the plea agreement they each faced five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.