New York State Inspector General Letizia Tagliafierro announced the arrest of a New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) office assistant who illegally accessed DMV records of family members and other individuals for personal financial gain
Wanda Turner, 53, of Troy, an Office Assistant
April 25, 2021 GMT
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) A Department of Motor Vehicles employee in Albany has been arrested for charging extra fees as a “side hustle” and accessing personal information of estranged family members, authorities said.
Wanda Turner, 53, of Troy, was arraigned on charges of felony computer trespass and misdemeanor official misconduct, New York state Inspector General Letizia Tagliafierro announced Friday.
Tagliafierro said Turner, a DMV employee for 20 years, charged people $40 to $50 on top of legitimate DMV fees to provide documents they requested and kept the extra money for herself.
Investigators found that Turner also gained access to records of estranged family members and an ex-boyfriend to obtain addresses and other personal information in violation of the Drivers Privacy Protection Act and DMV policies, the inspector general said.
ALBANY, N.Y. â New York State Inspector General Letizia Tagliafierro announced the arrest of a New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) office assistant who illegally accessed DMV records of family members and other individuals for personal financial gain
Wanda Turner, 53, of Troy, an Office Assistant 1 in the Title Bureau at DMVâs Swan Street location in Albany, was arraigned in Albany City Court before Hon. Joshua Farrell on charges of felony computer trespass and misdemeanor official misconduct. She has been suspended by the DMV.
Turnerâs job duties include reviewing title applications and supporting documents for completeness and accuracy. However, the Inspector Generalâs investigation found that Turner, a DMV employee for 20 years, allegedly charged people between $40-$50 per transaction â essentially a personal convenience fee â on top of existing DMV charges to produce driver abstracts and other documents, which removed the need for the
An office assistant with the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles is charged with computer trespass.
According to the state inspector general, 53-year-old Wanda Turner from Troy illegally accessed the DMV records of family and friends and then charged them $40 to $50 for the information.
Over the course of six months, investigators say Turner conducted at least 225 unauthorized searches of the DMV database.
According to the DMV, Turner received training regarding rules, policies and laws addressing the use of personal information.
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