[ISN] Bank data 'diver' fined by judge

http://www.connpost.com/ci_10895094

By DANIEL TEPFER
Staff writer
ConnPost.com
11/04/2008

BRIDGEPORT -- James Hastings, the Fairfield man whose Dumpster diving 
spurred a lawsuit against People's United Bank when he found customers' 
financial records tossed in unsecured trash bins, has been fined $800 
for disobeying a court order to keep silent about what he found.

"You have made yourself into a public pest," Superior Court Judge 
Richard Gilardi told Hastings, 56, of Rhode Island Avenue, in Fairfield, 
as he imposed the fine Monday. The judge also ordered the former 
repairman to pay unspecified lawyer fees to the bank for violating an 
earlier order.

"I thought he was going to throw me in jail," Hastings said after the 
hearing.

The judge also ordered that the case be referred to the Bridgeport 
State's Attorney's Office for possible criminal action.

"This office carefully reviewed this matter some time ago and determined 
that there was insufficient grounds for prosecution at that time," 
State's Attorney Jonathan Benedict said. "If any information has been 
developed, we will be happy to look at it."

Earlier this year, Hastings was probing the Dumpsters outside People's 
United Bank branches in the area when he uncovered thousands of 
documents that had apparently been tossed out by bank employees that 
included Social Security numbers and account information about hundreds 
of bank customers.

As a result of Hastings' discovery in the trash bins, customers are 
suing the bank.

[...]


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