Sources: New Orleans Saints' Mickey Loomis could eavesdrop on opposing coaches during home games

[InfoSec News <alerts () infosecnews org>]

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/7846290/new-orleans-saints-mickey-loomis-eavesdrop-opposing-coaches-home-games

By John Barr
ESPN
April 23, 2012

NEW ORLEANS -- The U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of 
Louisiana was told Friday that New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey 
Loomis had an electronic device in his Superdome suite that had been 
secretly re-wired to enable him to eavesdrop on visiting coaching staffs 
for nearly three NFL seasons, "Outside the Lines" has learned.

Sources familiar with Saints game-day operations told "Outside the 
Lines" that Loomis, who faces an eight-game suspension from the NFL for 
his role in the recent bounty scandal, had the ability to secretly 
listen for most of the 2002 season, his first as general manager of the 
Saints, and all of the 2003 and 2004 seasons. The sources spoke with 
"Outside the Lines" under the condition of anonymity because of fear of 
reprisals from members of the Saints organization.

Jim Letten, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana, 
acknowledged being told of the allegations Friday and a spokeswoman says 
the FBI's New Orleans office is aware of the allegations. If proved, the 
allegations could be both a violation of NFL rules and potentially a 
federal crime, according to legal sources. The federal Electronic 
Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) of 1986 prohibits any person from 
intercepting communications from another person using an electronic or 
mechanical device.

"I can say that we were just made aware of that on Friday, at least of 
these allegations," Letten said. "Anything beyond that I'm afraid I'm 
not at liberty to comment."

[...]


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