Man Suspected of Copying Computer Database of Former Employer’s Clients

A Costa Mesa man suspected of copying his former employer’s clientele database for his personal use has been arrested on suspicion of computer tampering, police investigators said Friday.

Edwin Lee Hiatt, 31, could serve up to three years in state prison and pay a $10,000 fine if found guilty of duplicating unauthorized customer files from an Anaheim computer service company just days before he resigned, Anaheim Police Sgt. Pattie Wasielewski said.

Hiatt had worked as a manager and an engineer at Uptime Service Associates, a computer repair and maintenance company, for six months, said Robert Markarian, the company owner.

Markarian said he received Hiatt’s resignation April 8, about the same time someone entered the company network and copied the information on a diskette. Only a handful of employees, including Hiatt, were authorized to access the database, which includes clients and contracts details, he said.

Markarian said he discovered someone had made a copy of the client list after he found that a duplicate file was created and deleted under Hiatt’s log-on.

“It’s like someone reaching into your safe and stealing your money,” Markarian said. “This is sensitive information in the hands of any competitor.”

The value of the clientele information was estimated at $5 million, he said.

Hiatt--who now works for Centric Resources Inc., a Santa Ana-based computer reseller--could not be reached for comment.

Executives with Centric Resources said they were aware of Hiatt’s arrest but added that they did not know of the allegedly stolen database. “At some point in time, [Hiatt] said he was having a problem with his former employer,” said Brian Rudesill, Centric Resources’ director of advance business services. “But we have not benefited from any alleged illegal activity. It’s not our policy to use anybody else’s customer database.”

Hiatt was booked Thursday at the Anaheim City Jail and released on his own recognizance after computer tampering charges were filed. His court appearance is pending.

Times staff writer Greg Miller contributed to this report.