Prosecutors are dropping felony computer crime charges against Lt. Richard Crean, who they alleged used a driver and vehicle information database to search for a license plate sent to him by a Palm Harbor woman.
A Clearwater Police officer won't face criminal charges after he was accused of wrongfully using a law enforcement database to disclose a woman's personal information, the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Prosecutors have decided not to pursue felony computer crime charges against Lt. Richard Crean, 46, who they alleged used the state's driver and vehicle information database to search for a license plate sent to him by Laura McLynas of Palm Harbor.
"The plate was from a car parked in front of the house of her estranged husband, Clearwater resident James McLynas," the Times reports.
Crean allegedly ran the plate number on his computer and sent information about the car's owner, a South Pasadena woman and friend of James McLynas, to Laura McLynas.
According to the Times:
" ... a review of the case showed Crean was pursuing a potential criminal investigation when he used the database, though he erred in disclosing (the woman's) information to Laura McLynas."
The case was referred back to the Clearwater Police Department, which will reportedly proceed with its own internal investigation.
Read more in the Times' story.
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Harvey A. Smith
9:09 am on Thursday, January 24, 2013
Good call to not press charges. He may have not had a "solid" reason for running the plate and subsequently releasing the information to a friend, but to ruin a good officer's career for such an offense makes no sense. I'm sure the matter can be approcpriately handled internally by the agency.