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Student Caught Making Fake IDs
Student Caught Making Fake IDs
A Harvard undergraduate was caught producing fake state driver’s
licenses and Harvard identification cards, including some that would
have granted access to campus buildings and Crimson Cash accounts,
University officials said Monday.
Theodore R. Pak ’09 is currently under investigation in
connection with the false documents and is away from school, according
to a student who is close to Pak.
Pak was “stopped and questioned” by University police on Nov. 19
concerning the counterfeit Harvard IDs, according to an incident report
filed by the Harvard University Police Department (HUPD). The Middlesex
district attorney’s office is investigating the matter with the help of
HUPD.
A statement released by the University on Monday said there is
no evidence yet to indicate that the ID cards were used to make
fraudulent purchases or gain access to any personal information, such as
credit card or Social Security numbers.
However, Harvard officials notified all Crimson Cash account
holders on Monday afternoon of the breach and suggested that they review
their accounts for suspicious activities. Crimson Cash is a service
that allows Harvard affiliates to deposit money onto their IDs and use
them to buy food, textbooks, and other items.
It is unclear whether the fake IDs were used to gain access to campus buildings.
“We do not believe that this incident has created a safety risk
for the community,” the statement said, adding that the University has
already taken “security-enhancing steps” and planning to take more
measures to protect IDs in the near future.
While Harvard officials declined to name the student, the
statement said the student was no longer on Harvard’s campus and that
there have not been similar suspicious acts since the identification of
the suspect.
Repeated calls to Pak’s home in Miller Place, N.Y. went
unanswered, and spokesmen for the University, HUPD, and the Middlesex
District Attorney declined to comment because of the ongoing
investigation.
John “Jay” L. Ellison, secretary of the Administrative Board,
the College’s chief disciplinary body, would not comment on Pak’s status
at the College. Pak is no longer listed in the Harvard phonebook
directory or the official College facebook.
At Harvard, Pak was the technology manager for the Harvard Glee
Club and conducted research at the systems biology lab of Kevin J.
Verstrepen, a lecturer on molecular and cellular biology.
He also served as the business manager of the Harvard Computer Society (HCS).
Another Fake ID link.
As business manager, Pak maintained the HCS Web site and led a
seminar for students in Computer Science 50, “Introduction to Computer
Science I” students about using Linux, according to HCS President Grant
W. Dasher ’09.