July 20, 2010

Third pleads guilty in Obama loan case

The Associated Press

DES MOINES -- A third former employee of a U.S Department of Education contractor has pleaded guilty to illegally accessing President Obama's student loan records.

Patrick Roan, 51, of Iowa City, pleaded guilty in federal court July 13 to one count of fraud activity connected with computers, a misdemeanor. It wasn't immediately clear what maximum punishment he could face when he is sentenced Oct. 12.

Neither Roan's attorney, Rockne Cole, nor a U.S. attorney's office spokesman immediately responded to messages seeking comment.

Roan was one of nine Vangent Inc. employees accused of accessing Obama's student loan records. Two others pleaded guilty last month to a charge of exceeding authorized computer access and face up to a year in prison and $100,000 fine at their Sept. 24 sentencing.

The other six former employees have pleaded not guilty and are scheduled to stand trial in August and September. Prosecutors say the nine accessed Obama's records between July 2007 and March 2009.