2 men accused in conspiracy to access computer network of mental health treatment provider
Two men are accused of conspiring to access a protected computer of their former employer, a mental health treatment provider that operates recovery centers across Massachusetts, which shut down access to the electronic medical records system used for treatment of patients.
Nathan Howe, 42, of Rutland, was indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to access a protected computer to obtain information and cause damage and one count of intentionally causing damage to a protected computer and impairing medical treatment, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement on Tuesday.
Patrick Edmonds-Morin, 31, of Union, Conn., was charged by information on May 18, with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to access a protected computer to obtain information, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Howe was taken into custody on May 16 and was released on conditions of pre-trial supervision. Edmonds-Morin will appear in federal court in Worcester on June 28.
According to the charging documents, Howe and Edmonds-Morin were employed by the nonprofit until April 2021 and October 2020, respectively.
Prosecutors allege that between September and December of 2021, Howe and Edmonds-Morin “conspired to access records of the nonprofit’s employees, listen to and view conversations between the employees, and create and deploy a computer program designed to impede a Vice President of the nonprofit’s use of the network,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
In November 2021, Howe “allegedly accessed the computer network and transmitted a command that shut down the network for the nonprofit’s Westborough campus, where people were receiving in-patient treatment,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
By allegedly shutting down the network, “Howe made the nonprofit’s electronic medical records system inaccessible at its sites across Massachusetts, impairing or potentially impairing the medical examination, diagnosis, treatment and care of patients,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Prosecutors further allege that between July 2018 and November 2020, “Howe and Edmonds-Morin conspired to commit wire fraud by obtaining cell phones from a cell phone provider which were intended for the nonprofit’s staff and, instead, selling the cell phones to third parties for personal profit, typically in the amounts of hundreds of dollars per phone,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
The charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
The charge of conspiracy to access a protected computer without authorization to obtain information and cause damage, provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
The charge of intentionally causing damage without authorization to a protected computer and causing the potential impairment of medical treatment provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
The charge of conspiracy to access a protected computer without authorization to obtain information, provides for a sentence of up to one year in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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