(NEW ORLEANS)---A federal grand jury in New Orleans has indicted a former employee of the St. Tammany Parish District Attorney's Office and two businessmen on a conspiracy charge involving the use of information obtained from a National Crime Information Center computer, according to U. S. Attorney Jim Letten.

Letten says that 41-year-old Vicky Munn of New Orleans, 39-year-old Todd Kelly of Traverse City, Michigan, and 47-year-old Charles E. Barnett, Jr., of Covington have been charged with one count of conspiracy to exceed authorized access of a government computer.

According to the indictment, Munn was a supervisor in the worthless checks division of the DA's office, while Kelly and Barnett, Jr., operated private investigative firms. The indictment alleges that from January, 2003, until May, 2004, Munn used her work computer to generate criminal histories of individuals.

Letten adds that Munn allegedly then sold the criminal history checks to Kelly and Barnett, Jr. The indictment lists some 48 payments to Munn, totaling $7,380.

Letten says that if convicted, the three face a maximum of five-years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, or both with three-years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment fee.

---