Detective Arrested for Hacking out of Obsessive Love

New York detective was arrested after allegedly spying on over 30 people, including police colleagues, to discover if any of them was sleeping with his ex, according to The Register. The 42-year-old cop hired hackers to get their usernames and passwords.

Edwin Vargas allegedly spent over $4,000 for email-hacking services, and appeared before a magistrate judge charged with conspiracy to commit computer hacking.

“As alleged, Detective Edwin Vargas paid thousands of dollars for the ability to illegally invade the privacy of his fellow officers and others,” Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said. “He is also alleged to have illegally obtained information about two officers from a federal database to which he had access based on his status as an NYPD detective. When law enforcement officers break the laws they are sworn to uphold, they do a disservice to their fellow officers, to the department, and to the public they serve, and it will not be tolerated.”

The Bronx detective had suspected his ex-lover, with whom he had split after having a child together, had started a new relationship with another cop. To find out, Vargas paid between $50 and $250 to cyber-criminals.

The detective is also accused of paying hackers to spy on mobile phone records, and illegally accessing the National Crime Information Center’s database. After posting a $50,000 bond, Vargas was released on bail. He now faces a maximum sentence of one year in prison.