By Rachel Williams, Malcolm Shields
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WEST PALM BEACH, Florida (WPBF) — Court documents describe how a Lake Worth Beach man allegedly stole sensitive equipment while volunteering with the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Office.
John D. Panicci, 59, was arrested on Saturday and charged with property crimes, taking, damaging computer equipment supplies or electronic device and theft.
On Friday, March 27, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said it was notified of a delayed theft at the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Office located on Cherry Road in West Palm Beach.
Deputies made contact with the security manager of the supervisor of elections office who told deputies on Thursday, March 19, the elections office hosted training for paid employees and volunteers who registered to assist with the upcoming Tuesday, March 24 elections. But the suspect did not work that election day.
Wendy Sartory Link, Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections explained in an interview, “I have no idea why he wanted to steal it he had gone through our training, so he was well aware that it was all fake information. Our poll workers on Election Day they have the information are the voters who are in that precinct for that election, on that day. None of the information is confidential. For an example, there’s no social security numbers, drivers’ licenses numbers. But it’s a voter’s name, their address, or political party.”
The March 24 Special General Election featured the Florida State House District 87 and the Village of North Palm Beach Council, Group 4.
After training was completed, it was determined that a component used in conjunction with one of their voter registration kiosks was missing.
The security manager was told of the missing item.
Further investigation led the security manager to determine that Panicci had stolen the component during his time participating in the training.
According to the security manager, he was informed of the missing component on Monday, March 23.
The security manager said that he reviewed facility check-in information and surveillance video when he discovered that Panicci had taken the component.
Sartory Link explained, “Our staff at the end of each training day, they go through and clean everything up and make sure we have everything we’re supposed to have and they noted that one of the sticks were missing. So, after doing some internal investigation to make sure that it wasn’t just one of the trainers moved it to take it to a different location for a different machine or something determined that was not the case, and that it was likely taken by one of our trainees.”
The security manger described the component as an encrypted key. When the key is plugged into the voter registration device, it allows the network to access databases that contain voter registration information.
The security manager said since it was a training day for volunteers who planned to help with confirming voter registrations on the day of the election, the key that was stolen was formatted and encrypted to access a training database.
Supervisor of Elections officials express concern that if the device were to be reverse engineered or tampered with, the key, described as a standard SanDisk brand USB drive with a label noting it was for training, could be used with malicious intent.
“Even if he did… what he’s going to get is a bunch of fake data because it’s really just a training database that’s used. The same database is used across all the country primarily in the state of Florida. But it is fake names with fake addresses, fake voter ID numbers with just different scenarios.” said Sartory Link.
The security manager said Panicci was identified because all visitors were required to check in with an electronic kiosk near the facility entrance.
Before entering, volunteers were required to provide a valid Florida identification and let the kiosk take a picture of their face.
The security manager said although the kiosk deleted images of the identification and the facial view, the system retained names, addresses, dates of birth, and time stamps from the volunteers who enter and leave the facility. That information is recorded.
The security manager was able to use the information to identify Panicci as the person who took the key.
The report says Panicci was seen on surveillance video remove the device from the kiosk next to him and hide the device in his pants pocket.
The security manager said that all training equipment was not allowed to be removed from the training room.
The security manager told detectives that he was told a poll worker manager contacted Panicci on the telephone and confronted Panicci about the stolen device.
Panicci initially denied taking the device but later stated that he did not mean to take the device and had already discarded the device.
The poll worker manager was planning to inform Panicci that he would not be allowed to work the March 24 election because of their findings on the missing device.
The kiosk with the missing key was not able to be used on election day until a replacement key device was received.
The poll worker manager noted that the supervisor of elections office was able to conduct the election without any changes to security protocols.
A deputy with the sheriff’s office reviewed the surveillance video and observed Panicci at some point reach over the kiosk to his right and pull the key device from the kiosk and place the key in his right pocket.
Panicci is seen chatting with elections office officials before he leaves the training session.
As of Monday afternoon, Panicci, a Michigan native, is in the Palm Beach County Jail on $6,000 bail.
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