

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS FOR 112 DEPUTIES RELEASED BY ST. MARY’S SHERIFF HALL
Mass Exposure of Social Security Numbers 2nd Time for Serially Stupid Good Old Boys
ST. MARY’S SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT
Did the same dumb thing in 2014, but that time included all clerks and correctional officers.
BY JOHN O’CONNOR
THE CHESAPEAKE TODAY
News and Commentary
The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Department has once again demonstrated a shocking disregard for the safety and privacy of its deputies. In a glaring repeat of past mistakes, releasing all of the Social Security numbers of all members of the agency to THE CHESAPEAKE TODAY in 2014, the department has again released the Social Security numbers of 112 sworn law enforcement officers.
“The inclusion of personal details does not serve the public interest and should not have been disclosed.” -Attorney General
In a letter received just before publication, the Maryland Attorney General wrote, “The inclusion of personal details does not serve the public interest and should not have been disclosed.” The full text of the letter follows this article.
The massive privacy infraction in 2014, including the Social Security Identification of Sheriff Tim Cameron, occurred during a Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA) request, both times to this publication.
Some might say that the gifts keep on coming.
This staggering second breach of personal data security is not only a failure of leadership but a betrayal of the trust placed in the department by the public and the men and women who serve to protect them. It’s hard to believe that such a serious breach could occur again.

This breach is more than an oversight—it is a stunning dereliction of duty by a department that is supposed to exemplify professionalism and accountability. These deputies put their lives on the line daily to protect the citizens of St. Mary’s County, only to find their most sensitive personal information carelessly exposed by the very organization sworn to have their backs. The trust between leadership and those who serve under them is foundational, and this repeated breach has shattered that trust, leaving the deputies feeling deeply betrayed.

Among the affected deputies are Alexander, David M.; Allebach, Raymond; Alvey, Artina S.; Ball, Carl M.; Bare, James; Beishline Jr., Alvin; Beyer, Christopher; Beyer, Matthew R.; Bowling III, Joseph A.; Boyer, Michael A.; Budd, Andrew W.; Burgess, Andrew D.; Carberry, Shaun C.; Chase, Robert G.; Connelly, Brian J.; Corcoran, David L.; Curtis, Jack A.; Cusic, Kenneth L.; Davis, Jaime L.; Davis, Philip J.; Delozier, Angela M.; Dixon, Preston A.; Edelen, Austin L.; Edwards, Courtney J.; Ellis, Cory M.; Evans, Edward B.; Fennessey, Brian; Fenwick, John A.; Flerlage, Kenneth H.; Foor, Brandon T.; Forinash, Warren M.; Gardiner, John J.; Gardiner, Michael H.; Gaskill, Blaine R.; Godwin, Edward; Graves, Jason E.; Graves, Michael G.; Green, Melissa L.; Haas, Blake C.; Handy, Patrick H.; Hartzell, Chad D.; Hedderich, Thomas A.; Henry, Phillip A.; Hersh, Dianne C.; Hill, Nicholas A.; Hill, William E.; Holdsworth, Daniel J.; Holton Jr., Andrew I.; Holzberger, Charles L.; Howard, Mark D.; Jerew, Zachary W.; Jones, Eva F.; Katulich, David R.; Kerby, Steven D.; Kirkner, John; Knott, Glen D.; Kril, Taylor-Lynn; Krum, Joshua M.; Labanowski, Michael A.; Lawrence, David M.; LeFave, Skyler L.; Luffey, Benjamin C.; Maloy, Ronald G.; Mattera, Allison B.; McClure, Dustin A.; Merritt, Robert C.; Meyer, Kevin P.; Mills, Douglas S.; Moritz, Keith D.; Moses, Shawn L.; Muschette, Gerard S.; Myers Jr., Michael J.; Myers Jr., Stephen E.; Nauman, Taylore A.; Nelson, Kristi M.; O’Connor, Elizabeth A.; Palermo, Nino V.; Palmer, Christopher M.; Payne, Tyler J.; Peacher, Michael D.; Pesante, Milton; Pontorno, Vincent J.; Porter, Mark A.; Potter, David E.; Raley, Benjamin G.; Ray, William D.; Reppel, Dale D.; Rishel, William J.; Ross, Dung T.; Roszell, Rachael; Ruest, Scott D.; Russell, Richard W.; Russell Jr., Robert A.; Rycyzyn, Michael A.; Safford, Clayton O.; Salas, Bianca; Schell, Max W.; Schultz, Austin R.; Shelko, Shawn A.; Sidorowicz, Daniel M.; Simonds Jr., Stephen E.; Smith, Dale J.; Smith, Jason M.; Smith, Lacey A.; Smith, Sarah J.; Snyder, Daniel L.; Snyder, Thomas J.; Snyder, Timothy L.; Teague, Trevor J.; Tirpak, Sheena R.; Trow, Russell C.; Vogt, Edward; Walker II, Michael J.; Wesner, Timothy E.; Westphal, Tyler; Whipkey, Anthony A.; White, Timothy D.; Wilhelmi, Richard J.; Wilson, Jessica N.; Wimberly, Travis M.; Wynnyk, Alexander J.; Yekstat, Kenneth B.; Yingling, Julie L.; and Young, Harold D.
The good news is that not all of the deputy’s numbers were included, as twelve were blank, and the agency is down by twenty-seven deputies due to the many deputies who have left to seek jobs in agencies that are not crippled by incompetence and good old boy politics.
The Sheriff’s Department is fortunate that this sensitive information landed in the hands of this writer, a retired law enforcement officer whose wife is also retired from the Sheriff’s Office with over 23 years of service.

In the 2014 release, the data was provided to THE CHESAPEAKE TODAY in spreadsheets via the County Attorney’s Office after St. Mary’s Sheriff Cameron signed off on the information. When reviewing the payroll information for the agency and discovering the privacy breach of the social security numbers included, the material was hand-delivered to Lt. Russell Trow, the duty officer, that night, and a receipt signed by him was included in the release story. Lt. Trow’s social security number was included in the release. WJLA ABC7 reporter Jay Korff produced a special report on the Washington station’s newscast the following day, including a visit to the Sheriff’s Department.
St. Mary’s County officials exposed Social Security numbers for all employees of Sheriff
The document containing the data is being safeguarded with legal counsel to ensure it can be used as evidence if a lawsuit is required in the future for damages resulting from this breach.
Had this information fallen into the hands of a criminal, such as Sheriff Hall, whose previously undisclosed conviction for third-degree assault now threatens his certification as a police officer, the outcome could have been very different.
The parallels between the sheriff’s department’s mismanagement and the police training commission are uncanny. It would appear the two are made for each other, and this is nothing less than yet another catastrophic breach of trust due to the over-inflated egos of government bureaucrats.
Convict Sheriff Hall met with the Director of the police training commission, Mr. Wayne Silvers, on December 20th, 2024, when they both attended the Southern Maryland Criminal Justice Academy Graduation. At that time, Hall and his team of thugs pleaded with the commission’s director to weaponize the board’s power, which Silvers agreed to. However, it appears this attempt has backfired. In a plot twist, the Maryland Police Training Standards Commission, now politically weaponized to suppress the First Amendment, has also unlawfully released confidential personnel files. This writer notified the attorney general’s office of their records breach last week.
The parallels between the sheriff's department's mismanagement and the police training commission are uncanny. It would appear the two are made for each other, and this is nothing less than yet another catastrophic breach of trust due to the over-inflated egos of government bureaucrats.
The Sheriff’s Department’s blatant hypocrisy in handling public information requests adds to the outrage. When requests are made for statistics, such as arrest data or budget details, the department often claims the information is challenging to produce and demands exorbitant fees—in one case, $8,500—just to process the request. Yet, Social Security numbers and personal data, far more sensitive and damaging if improperly handled, are given out freely with seemingly no oversight. The contrast underscores the department’s gross mismanagement and misplaced priorities regarding transparency and data protection.
This time, Lt. Joshua Krum of Internal Affairs failed to act as the final gatekeeper, allowing the sensitive information to be released without proper review. Lt. Krum’s role in Internal Affairs is to ensure adherence to procedures and maintain accountability. Still, his oversight further underscores the department’s systemic lack of safeguards and attention to detail.
While the Sheriff’s Department spends significant time denying lawful public records requests, delaying responses, and adding unnecessary watermarks to documents, they fail to demonstrate the same diligence in safeguarding the sensitive information of their employees. This misplaced focus on restricting public access contrasts sharply with their inability to follow basic data protection protocols, leaving their deputies vulnerable to serious harm.
Taxpayers are already footing the bill for identity theft protection services stemming from the last breach in 2014, and it appears they’ll now be paying again for this second breach. The costs of these recurring mistakes continue to pile up, placing an unfair financial burden on the taxpayers for errors that should never have occurred in the first place. This misuse of public funds only amplifies the frustration and distrust surrounding the department’s handling of these matters.
The betrayal of trust—both public trust and the trust of the deputies who serve St. Mary’s County—cannot be overstated. Deputies dedicate their lives to protecting this community, and in return, their leadership has left them vulnerable. This repeated failure sends a clear message that the Sheriff’s Department is more concerned with protecting its image than its employees or the public it serves.
St. Mary’s County must demand accountability, meaningful reforms, and an unwavering commitment to protecting the people who serve this community. Anything less insults the public, the deputies, and the principles of law enforcement itself. This is not a story of one mistake but a pattern of systemic failure that can no longer be ignored. The need for immediate action and change is urgent.
MARYLAND ATTORNEY GENERAL SAYS SOCIAL SECURITY IDENTIFICATIONS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN RELEASED BY SHERIFF STEVE HALL
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