MIAMI TWP., Montgomery County — LexisNexis has notified more than 13,000 consumers that a Florida man with ties to the Mafia may have accessed their personal information.
Joe Bananas
Lee Klein, 39, of Boynton Beach, was one of 11 defendants charged with racketeering in U.S. District Court of Southern Florida in May.
According to a federal indictment, Klein worked for the criminal “crew” of Thomas Fiore, an associate of the Bonanno organized crime family.
The indictment alleges that Klein illegally used “information obtained from computer databases in order to acquire identification information regarding potential victims of extortion” and people suspected by Fiore’s criminal organization of being involved with law enforcement.
IDG News Service reported that LexisNexis sent out a letter last month warning people that Klein may have used his access to databases of LexisNexis company Seisint “in order to perpetrate certain crimes.”
Tuesday evening, July 14, LexisNexis spokesman David Kurt said the company sent out 13,329 letters to “potentially affected individuals” on behalf of a former Seisint customer, which is no longer in business.
Klein worked for that customer, Kurt said.
The indictment also alleges that Klein provided Fiore with “corporation names, addresses and account numbers to facilitate the manufacture and negotiation of counterfeit checks.”
He also allegedly acquired large quantities of stolen consumer goods, including plasma televisions and contraband cigarettes, and helped to fraudulently secure insurance payments “derived from the commission of arson.”
The products of Seisint of Boca Raton, Fla., which was acquired by LexisNexis in 2004, include Accurint, which is used for background checks on individuals by government, law enforcement and companies.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2264 or tbeyerlein @DaytonDailyNews.com.
