former minnesota timberwolves The employee faces a felony charge for allegedly stealing a team executive’s hard drive containing “strategic NBA information,” according to court documents.
The suspect, Somak Sarkar (33), was arrested. minneapolis police department Court documents filed in Hennepin County come after prosecutors allege that a former staffer stole a hard drive containing confidential information from the office of Timberwolves executive vice president of basketball operations Sachin Gupta. , was charged Monday with third-degree felony robbery.
Minnesota Timberwolves executive Sachin Gupta in his Timberwolves court office at Mayo Clinic Square on October 15, 2021. (Leila Navidi/Minneapolis Star Tribune)
According to the filing, on February 2, Mr. Gupta left the hard drive connected to his laptop in his office. But when he returned the following Monday, the hard drive was gone. Surveillance camera footage allegedly “showed Mr. Sarkar entering the office when no other employees were present” that Saturday.
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“The defendant entered the office twice after checking to make sure no one was watching him. He then left,” court documents state.
Sarkar worked in the unit overseen by Gupta until August, when he was transferred to the coaching staff “due to work performance”. The new workstations were not located near Mr. Gupta’s office, according to the complaint.
He was fired after the team reviewed security footage.
Somak Sarkar (Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office)
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The hard drive was eventually recovered, but forensic analysis revealed that more than 5,000 files had been “accessed and downloaded to another device.”
The information on the hard drive included Mr. Gupta’s personal information, including his social security number, tax information, and banking information. It also included information from the Timberwolves, including player contracts and employee contracts.
Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves is called for a technical foul by referee Natalie Sago during the fourth quarter of a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland on March 8, 2024. 27 years old) responded. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)
According to the complaint, it also included the following: “NBA Strategy Information”.
The Timberwolves told FOX News Digital they are aware of the allegations but will not comment further on ongoing legal matters.
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After a warrant was issued and the information was recovered from his device, Sarkar told officers that he had the hard drive “to put something in,” but that he had no intention of returning it, according to the complaint. He reportedly stated that he had forgotten.
Sarkar faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. He has been released from custody and is scheduled to appear in court later this week, according to Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office online records.
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