Federal agent indicted
for using government computer to track woman

By Jason Bennert

September 19, 2007

A federal grand jury in San Jose has indicted a special agent with the U.S. Department of Commerce for allegedly using a restricted government computer to track a former girlfriend and her family.

Oakland resident Benjamin Robinson, 40, was indicted Wednesday on two felony charges. He faces a possible sentence of five years in prison if convicted.

According to the indictment, between May 2003 and March 2004 Robinson used the Treasury Enforcement Communications System database at least 163 times to track the movements of his former girlfriend and her family in and out of the country.

He also allegedly lied to federal investigators on June 1, 2004, about the number of times he used the database to track the woman and her family.

"Those of us who are sworn to public service must continually strive to uphold the highest standards of professional conduct. Federal officers who violate the public trust by abusing their official positions to pursue a private vendetta must be held accountable for those actions,'' U.S.Attorney Scott Schools said.

Robinson is scheduled to make his first appearance in the case Oct. 11 before Magistrate Richard Seeborg at the federal courthouse in San Jose.

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