CEDAR FALLS, Ia — A 45-year-old man is facing federal theft charges related to a data breach at the University of Northern Iowa that was discovered in 2014.
Bernard Ogie Oretekor has been charged with theft of government property and aggravated identity theft, The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reported.
More than 100 UNI employees reported having their tax returns rejected in 2014 because someone had fraudulently filed a return on their behalf and collected their refund.
Authorities linked Oretekor to the UNI data theft after seizing his computers in 2014 in connection with a separate investigation in California.
He's still in custody in Santa Clara, California, facing charges related to the theft of $312,115 from a couple's investment account. He hasn't yet appeared in court on the University of Northern Iowa case, and court records don't list an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
The charges in Iowa are result of a forensic investigation of Oretekor's computers that was done last year. Names, birthdays and Social Security numbers of UNI employees were found on the computers.
Investigators found evidence that Oretekor had used another individual's identity to claim a 2013 tax refund of $9,850 and received the money in February 2014.
Court documents say Oretekor is a Nigerian citizen who had applied for U.S. citizenship, and he was living in Ellenwood, Georgia, at the time of his arrest.