Former IT Employee Arrested for Cyberattack on St. Augustine Tea Company

Former IT Employee Arrested for Cyberattack on St. Augustine Tea Company

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) arrested 41-year-old Richard Clayton Wozniak of Palm Coast on multiple felony charges in connection to a cyberattack against The Spice and Tea Exchange Company in St. Augustine.

Wozniak faces four counts of offenses against computer users and one count of unlawful use of a two-way communications device.

The investigation began in January after the tea company reported unauthorized access to its firewall and email systems, leading to the deletion and alteration of critical company data. FDLE investigators determined that Wozniak, a former IT department employee, accessed the business networks within minutes of being terminated. He allegedly removed the company’s firewall, disrupting operations and compromising the business’s physical security.

With assistance from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, Wozniak was arrested on July 9 and booked into the Flagler County Jail. He is charged with four counts of offenses against computer users and one count of unlawful use of a two-way communications device.

The Office of the Statewide Prosecution in Jacksonville is handling the case.

Anyone wishing to report a cyber data breach may contact FDLE’s Cybercrime Office at cybercrimeoffice@fdle.state.fl.us.

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