A top official in the St. Louis Recorder of Deeds Office has been fired for a vital records security breach of about 19,000 unauthorized copies of death certificates, kmov.com reports.
The acting Recorder of Deeds, Jennifer Florida, says Preggy Meeker, the alleged suspect, allowed employees to log into Missouri’s vital records system by using the passcode of an employee who retired two years ago. Both are a violation of the law and could lead to possible identity theft.
“Identity theft is a big issue,” Florida said. “I think they do steal infants’ identities and try to establish a social security number. I agree that this is something we shouldn’t shirk our responsibility on. This is an office where you need to follow the law.”
Florida says no unauthorized people gained access to the system. Missouri officials say they could have suspended the city’s license, but decided not to. Instead, officials say they will send representatives to train workers.
