State trooper disciplined for sharing restricted crime data with friend

Hannah Edelman, Delaware News Journal
·2 min read
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A Delaware State Police trooper has been put on six months' probation after illegally using a criminal justice computer system to find New Jersey vehicle information for a friend, the Department of Justice announced Friday.

The probation will end once the officer is retrained and recertified in "acceptable" uses of law enforcement computer systems, according to the plea agreement.

The Justice Department said James D. Boyda, a five-year veteran officer, was asked to run the plates of a car his friend Dennis Terry was "having problems with" in New Jersey in March. "Unbeknownst" to Boyda, the car actually was parked in Terry's ex-girlfriend's driveway, according to the Department of Justice.

After Terry asked him twice, Boyda gave him the information, including the name and address of the car's owner. The Justice Department said Terry then used this information to harass his ex-girlfriend, who later got a restraining order against him. Terry faces criminal charges in New Jersey.

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“It’s unsettling to think how easily this situation could have become worse,” said Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings in an emailed statement.

Jennings said that while it was clear that Boyda was "misled by someone he believed to be his friend ... his lack of malice does not change the fact that his actions enabled the harassment of an innocent woman."

According to Col. Melissa Zebley, superintendent of Delaware State Police, the department "has supervision, policies, and procedures in place to ensure the accountability of (its) members."

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Other Delaware police departments have faced similar issues. In 2003. A New Castle County police officer used the Delaware Criminal Justice Information System to give restricted information to then-council member Robert S. Weiner.

Until his recertification, the Department of Justice said Boyda will not be allowed to access any crime data. This probationary period replaces a suspended yearlong prison sentence.

Send story tips or ideas to Hannah Edelman at hedelman@delawareonline.com. For more reporting, follow them on Twitter at @h_edelman.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware state trooper illegally shared crime data that led to woman being harassed