DUBOIS – DuBois City’s computer system was attacked by cyber criminals on Friday, Jan. 24, reported City Manager John “Herm” Suplizio at Monday night’s council meeting.
Suplizio said that it appears items were encrypted in the computer system. He said city officials are currently working with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to determine if any information and or files were accessed, stolen or disseminated.
Suplizio said additional information on the scope of the cyber-attack will be available following the investigation.
In other business, Bob Buddenbohn was in attendance for the public comment period as a supporter of Just for Jesus and Bishop Jack Wisor, as well as to follow up on Wisor’s dispute with city officials.
Buddenbohn delivered a letter to council that levied new accusations based upon information Wisor obtained from the city via Right to Know requests. According to the letter:
- in August, Suplizio indicated he would be okay with being a point of contact for referrals for Just for Jesus. However, the letter stated that neither Suplizio nor the police chief returned any calls/messages.
- city police officers have only completed the legal minimum that’s required for drug-related training.
- city police don’t have any documentation that the $200,000 received from the Drug Task Force over the past 13 years was ever spent.
- there isn’t any documentation that the city police have taken the state-mandated oath of office.
- there isn’t any documentation that the city manager has taken the oath of office.
- Wisor’s deceased daughter was used as “bait” by local police and the judicial system.
After nearly 10 minutes, Councilwoman Diane Bernardo reminded Mayor Randy Schmidt of council’s three-minute time limit on public comment.
Schmidt later said he’d enforce the time limit in the future, and any person who would like to speak at length would have to schedule it prior to the council meeting.
Bernardo defended Police Chief Blaine Clark and Suplizio, saying she was “proud” of the city’s police force. She said the city has spent in excess of $200,000 to address all its pass-through traffic. She said a lot of drugs also pass through DuBois because it’s located along several drug transit routes.
Councilman Ed Walsh admitted that while $200,000 sounded like a lot, it was only $15,000 annually over 13 years and it doesn’t go very far when it covers overtime for an entire department.
Clark also clarified that the $200,000 wasn’t in the form of grant funding, but instead was a reimbursement for hours worked by the city’s police force.
Solicitor Toni Cherry noted DuBois City responded to countless Right to Know Requests from Wisor. She said he would often fax his requests after regular business hours, then complain that his requests were being ignored.
Cherry also said on several occasions, Wisor claimed to have sent a fax on a specific date and time, and that the city was able to prove there wasn’t any record of it.