Pacific Grove Police Commander to be sentenced for Extortion and Wire Fraud
John Nyunt, once a commander at the Pacific Grove Police Department, pleaded guilty to two counts under 18 U.S.C. Sect. 1951, Extortion, and 18 U.S.C. Sect 1343, Wire Fraud.
Nyunt had opened an unlicensed Security Consulting and Investigative Service. From July 2011 – January 2012 Nyunt had given his password to an employee working with his private security firm to access the department’s ‘Accuirant Le’ database.
The database was used to obtain financial and personal information on several individuals that his security firm was investigating. Nyunt never informed the department about his activities and had used fraudulent documents to cover up his operations. The information was then transferred from California to Florida. Fees for the use of the system were billed to the department for the use of the system.
Nyunt had tried to cover up the use of the system by falsifying the reason behind his use of the system, and he had threatened several police officers working in his department, saying that if they were to tell on him, he would seek retribution by having them indicted and or fired from their positions of authority.
Kristin Nyunt was sentenced to eight years for her role in operating the private investigation company with her husband. She also faces additional charges of using a spyware program to illegally gain information from a police officer’s cell phone. Kristin had informed authorities after her husband had threatened to kill her if she told anyone about their business. Information gained through the service was used to commit Identity theft in order to gain financially.
Nyunt was charged on May 13, 2014. Nyunt is currently in custody of the California State Bureau of Prisons. The next sentencing hearing has been scheduled for Dec 9, 2014 at 9:00 AM before the Honorable Judge Beth Labson Freeman.
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