Former Analyst Arrested in Hacking Plot

A former employee of a large Manhattan brokerage firm was arrested Thursday for allegedly asking an undercover detective to hack into the company’s e-mail system and insert a fake letter that would bolster his claim that he was unfairly fired.

Christian Curry, 24, of Chappaqua, N.Y., was charged with second-degree forgery, tampering with physical evidence and second-degree coercion, said Deputy Inspector Robert A. Martin, commanding officer of the Police Department’s Special Investigation Division.

Curry was fired in April from his entry-level job at the headquarters of Morgan Stanley, Dean Witter, Discover & Co., where he worked for less than a year as an investment banking analyst, said company spokeswoman Jeanmarie McFadden.

A company source, who asked not to be identified, said Curry was fired because he could not explain some of the expenses he had filed.

Earlier this month, Curry allegedly told company officials that he was planning to file a federal lawsuit, Martin said. Marvin Smilon, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan, said he did not know if the lawsuit had been filed.

Shortly after that, detectives in the Computer Investigation and Technology Unit learned from sources that Curry allegedly was looking for someone to hack into the company’s e-mail, and an undercover detective met with Curry this week, Martin said.

“At this meeting, Mr. Curry gave this detective a handwritten letter that he asked to be inserted through hacking into the Morgan Stanley e-mail through their computer system,” Martin said, adding the letter contained derogatory statements about Curry, blacks and gays.