griffith

Minnesota Vikings and ID Theft

By Amy Mayron

Posted on Thu, Aug. 21, 2003

Policeman is suspect in ID theft of Vikings

An Eden Prairie police officer and part-time security worker for the Minnesota Vikings is under investigation on suspicion of stealing the identities of team members and employees, according to court records filed Wednesday.

The case began Aug. 4 when running back Michael Bennett contacted the team's security representative about receiving credit card statements and letters of which he had no knowledge, according to a search warrant filed in Hennepin County District Court.

Bennett called the credit card companies and determined that the person applying for the cards had provided his correct Social Security number but the incorrect maiden name of his mother.

He received one statement that had five transactions listed from late June and early July totaling $117.80. He turned it over to Dag Sohlberg, an NFL security representative assigned to the Vikings, who began an investigation into who had gotten Bennett's Social Security number.

Sohlberg recovered surveillance tapes at two of the gas stations where the card had been used. Both tapes showed a white man — Bennett is black — and on one of the tapes he was wearing a shirt with a Vikings logo, according to the search warrant.

Sohlberg then met with Vikings officials, one of whom was Brett Spinner, director of operations, who identified the man as Brent Griffith, an Eden Prairie police officer who was hired part time on the team's internal security force, the court documents say.

Spinner told the security representative that Griffith has access to Winter Park, the Vikings' training facility, and regularly works out in the weight room, which is adjacent to the locker room where the players' mail is distributed and left in their open lockers.

Griffith, 37, lives in Benson, Minn., and Swift County sheriff's deputies were pursuing search warrants for his home and vehicles, according to the Hennepin County records.

Hennepin County deputies sought a search of Griffith himself, as well as his locker at the Eden Prairie Police Department.

On Thursday, deputies recovered items from Griffith's locker that included credit card applications for devensive end Lance Johnstone; a medical bill for tight end Hunter Goodwin; a 1099 tax form for quarterback Daunte Culpepper; court papers for cornerback Denard Walker; a hotel rewards card for safety Brian Russell; a 2002 official Vikings team guide; miscellaneous credit card information; and 36 Vikings tickets.

No arrests have been made or charges filed in the case, authorities said.

Vikings executive vice president Mike Kelly said the team was informed of the investigation earlier this week, and he confirmed that Griffith worked part time for the team. Kelly said team officials told police they would assist in any way possible.

Bennett said he was unclear of specifics.

"The only thing I can say is it's under investigation, and we'll let the police handle it. But it makes you realize you have to be more aware of who is around you," he said.

Culpepper had no comment.

With identity fraud a growing concern to the NFL, league security specialists visit teams and instruct players to guard their personal information and use a shredder to dispose of that information.

During the afternoon team meeting Wednesday, Vikings head coach Mike Tice briefly mentioned to his players to be careful of fraud and guard their information.

Griffith has been a patrol officer with the Eden Prairie Police Department since 1995. An offensive lineman at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Griffith was drafted in 1990 by the Buffalo Bills. He later tried out with the Vikings, but was eventually cut.

He was placed on paid administrative leave by the Eden Prairie Police Department last week after a complaint to the department of possible misconduct in connection with the Vikings incident, said Chief Dan Carlson.

The case was turned over to the Hennepin County sheriff's office for investigation, and Eden Prairie is also conducting its own internal investigation. Griffith will remain on paid leave pending the outcome of the internal investigation, Carlson said.

Griffith was the only Eden Prairie officer doing part-time work for the Vikings, he said. "The allegations are very disturbing to me and the organization," Carlson said. "We always work hard to provide a quality service to the community, and we will continue to do so."

Posted 8/21/2003 3:36 PM

Cop investigated in identity theft of Vikings players

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) — An Eden Prairie police officer is suspected of trying to steal the identities of five members of the Minnesota Vikings, court documents say.

The officer, who had worked as a part-time security guard for the team, allegedly used information about Michael Bennett to get a credit card in the name of the running back, according to a search warrant filed Wednesday in Hennepin County District Court.

Charges weren't expected to be filed for several weeks. The Hennepin County sheriff's office was investigating.

The case began Aug. 4 when Bennett contacted the team's security representative about receiving credit card statements of which he had no knowledge. He said he received bills totaling $117.80 from four convenience stores.

Bennett called the credit card companies and determined that the person applying for the cards had provided his correct Social Security number but the incorrect maiden name of his mother.

Dag Sohlberg, an NFL security representative assigned to the Vikings, began a four-day investigation that eventually led to the police officer.

Players and other people identified the suspect from surveillance video taken when he used one of Bennett's credit cards.

According to the search warrant, Eden Prairie officers searched the officer's work locker on Aug. 14 and found personal information about several players, including credit card applications for defensive end Lance Johnstone; a medical bill for tight end Hunter Goodwin; a 1099 tax form for quarterback Daunte Culpepper; court papers for cornerback Denard Walker; a hotel rewards card for safety Brian Russell; a 2002 official Vikings team guide; miscellaneous credit card information; and 36 Vikings tickets.

Bennett said he was unclear of specifics.

"The only thing I can say is it's under investigation, and we'll let the police handle it. But it makes you realize you have to be more aware of who is around you," he said.

Team executive vice president Mike Kelly said, "Obviously all of us are surprised and unhappy about it."

"When I received the allegations, it was very disturbing and it saddened me greatly that this sort of situation could arise," said Eden Prairie Police Chief Dan Carlson.

He said the officer, an eight-year veteran, was put on paid administrative leave.

Security people are hired by the Vikings on a per-job basis and are not considered employees of the team. The organization has a list of dozens of people who are called as needed. Most of them are police officers. Generally, guards' duties include escorting people during games and road trips.

Eden Prairie officer charged in Vikings identity theft

Howie Padilla and Kevin Seifert

Star Tribune

Published August 27, 2003

The Eden Prairie police officer accused of using credit cards in the name of Minnesota Vikings running back Michael Bennett told an investigator that he was trying to pay expenses, according to charges filed Tuesday.

"I thought I could save money, I guess," Brent Griffith, 38, told the investigator. "It's my fault. There's nobody else to blame."

In addition, Swift County sheriff's deputies who searched Griffith's home in Benson, Minn., found $1,476 in season tickets belonging to a Vikings assistant equipment manager.

"It's pretty much the worst scenario possible -- a security guy stealing things," said Vikings defensive end Lance Johnstone. Authorities found two credit card applications in Johnstone's name when they searched Griffith's police locker, according to court documents.

"This has been a difficult situation for all of us," Vikings Executive Vice President Mike Kelly said. "This is a person that we respected and trusted, and he used that to his advantage. You can ask, 'Is there something we could have done differently?' I'm not sure that there is. Despite the fact that we did all our homework, we were apparently incorrect about him."

The investigation into Griffith began earlier this month when running back Michael Bennett, while at training camp, received letters from credit card companies.

The letters had been mailed to the team's Winter Park base in Eden Prairie. As a security guard with the Vikings, Griffith often used the team's weight room, near the locker room.

He later told an investigator that he applied for three credit cards in Bennett's name, then watched the mail for the cards, according to the charges filed in Hennepin County District Court.

In Griffith's police locker, investigators found tax papers, credit card applications and medical papers for other Vikings players, including quarterback Daunte Culpepper and tight end Hunter Goodwin.

While searching Griffith's home in Benson, investigators also found 18 season tickets that had been taken from the Eden Prairie apartment of Vikings assistant equipment manager Aaron Neumann.

A fire had recently damaged Neumann's apartment, and Griffith told Neumann that he would go and survey the damage for him.

When Neumann returned to his apartment, he found that his season tickets -- which he knew were not damaged in the fire -- were missing from a desk drawer, the complaint said.

Griffith, who has been with the Eden Prairie Police Department and the Vikings for about seven years each, is charged with one count of financial transaction card fraud and one count of theft over $500.

According to court records filed last year, Griffith earned $3,360 per month in net income from his job as a police officer and $165 per month in his part-time job with the Vikings.

It is rare for an officer to be charged with either of the felony-level crimes, said Neil Melton, executive director of the Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training.

If Griffith is convicted of either crime, his peace officer's license will be revoked automatically.

His attorney, Larry Rapoport, said Tuesday that he hadn't seen the criminal complaint and couldn't comment until after he and Griffith had a chance to discuss the charges.

The investigation continues, and more charges could be filed against Griffith, Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar said.

Griffith, who is expected to make his first court appearance Thursday, no longer works for the Vikings and is on paid administrative leave from his police job. Now that charges have been filed in the criminal case, the department will aggressively continue its internal investigation, said Eden Prairie Police Chief Dan Carlson.

There has been some negative reaction to the allegations against one of his officers, but most of the reaction from residents has been sympathetic and supportive.

"They'll tell us that they know we try to do a good job," Carlson said. "They understand that one person's actions shouldn't show poorly on everyone."

The Vikings players affected said Tuesday that they were going to be happy to put the situation behind them.

"What's done is done," Bennett said Tuesday. "That's over with. Life goes on. It's an unfortunate situation. The police people around here have been real good to us, and for that to happen, it makes it hard for you to trust people. You can trust a cop, but sometimes some people just do their own thing."

Johnstone said all people should keep a close eye on their finances.

"If somebody's going to do something, they're going to do it," he said. "It doesn't have to be a pro athlete or someone with celebrity status. It could be at a restaurant. It could be pretty much anybody."

Officer charged in Vikings theft is fired from police job

Published August 28, 2003

The Eden Prairie Police Department has fired officer Brent Griffith, the former part-time Vikings security guard who is accused of pilfering players' mail and obtaining credit cards in the name of running back Michael Bennett.

Griffith, 37, who has been an Eden Prairie police officer for about seven years, was dismissed Wednesday after an internal investigation confirmed "misconduct relating to theft and fraud," the department said in a written statement.

Griffith, who lives in Benson, Minn., in Swift County, already had been dismissed by the Vikings. He had been a part-time security guard with the team for about seven years.

Authorities say an oil company card fraudulently issued in Bennett's name was used this summer to buy $117.80 worth of gasoline, according to criminal charges filed Tuesday in Hennepin County District Court.

Griffith told an investigator that he knew that what he was doing was against the law and that he did it because of "expenses and stuff like that," the charges say.

Griffith also is accused of taking $1,476 worth of Vikings season tickets belonging to an assistant equipment manager. He is charged with one count of financial-transaction-card fraud and one count of theft over $500.

Terry Collins

http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/4064664.html

Eden Prairie officer charged in Vikings identity theft

Howie Padilla and Kevin Seifert, Star Tribune

Published August 27, 2003