Dumpster full of personal information discovered in Kalamazoo

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - Responding to a tip on Tuesday, NEWSCHANNEL 3 found a dumpster full of Social Security numbers, names and addresses, all left out in the open for anyone to see.

According to Michigan law, records containing personal information are supposed to be disposed of in a way that prevents the public from finding them, but that did not happen to these files.

Nearly all of the files register to E.F. Mortgage of Portage, a business that NEWSCHANNEL 3 has been told no longer exists. A name on one of the old letterheads led to Jon Rockwood, an old manager who said that this was all a mistake.

"We had a crew of 15, 16, 27 people moving us out, so it must've been one box we left behind." Rockwood said, going on to explain that the box was thrown out over the weekend, which means that the information had been sitting out for a few days before it was discovered.

The sheriff's office is continuing to investigate this particular case, and if convicted, the person or persons responsible will face a misdemeanor charge, including jail time and potentially up to a $1,000 fine.