Tonia Bright, Computer Intrusion, Florida 2023

Tampa, FL – In a shocking case of corruption within the law enforcement ranks, a former civilian employee of the Tampa Police Department has been sentenced to prison for computer intrusion.

Tonia Bright, 53, of Tampa, FL, was sentenced to two years in federal prison for obtaining information from a protected computer for a fraudulent purpose.

The Court also ordered her to forfeit $29,057 and to pay restitution totaling $166,026, which are the proceeds traceable to the offenses.

Bright’s crime was uncovered after she accessed the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) computerized index, which contains the personally identifiable information (PII) of millions of individuals, and provided it to her friend, Rita Monique Girven.

Girven then used the information to file fraudulent federal income tax returns and claim refunds to which she was not entitled. When Girven received the fraudulently obtained refunds, she shared some of the proceeds with Bright.

Girven previously pleaded guilty in a separate case and was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison on November 20, 2015.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mandy Riedel and Megan Kistler.

Tonia Bright’s sentencing is a stark reminder of the importance of protecting sensitive information and the consequences of corruption within the law enforcement ranks.

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