CCS Employees’ Personal Info Found After Arrests

COLUMBUS, Ohio —Columbus City Schools experienced a security breach, resulting in employees’ Social Security numbers being at risk.

Arrests conducted by Columbus police Thursday, Jan 8., turned up the Social Security numbers of 80 to 100 CCS employees, NBC 4’s Lauren Diedrich and Ana Jackson reported.

CPD officers went to the 2000 block of East 6th Avenue on the city’s near North Side to serve drug and auto-theft felony warrants on John Lent and Carl Lowe, Detective Ronald Reese said.

During the arrest officers learned there might be stolen personal information in the house and found personal information on district employees, according to Reese.

CPD said it believes the suspects either stole or intercepted part of a mailing from the payroll division that was en route to annuity companies.

Lent and Lowe opened credit cards and checking accounts and paid for hotel rooms and car rentals with the personal numbers, Reese said.

The two suspects don’t have any connection with the district, police said.

Two employees filed a police report, claiming that credit cards were opened and that someone rented cars in their names.

Police said there could be more victims.

Columbus City Schools said it notified everyone involved in the security breach and was in the process of setting up consumer-protection services for those involved—regardless of whether suspicious activity has taken place.

CPD advised all victims to pull credit reports and to file a police report and was working to help all concerned employees file reports.

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