Charges
against two Coalfire employees who were arrested while conducting a physical penetration
test of the Dallas County, Iowa courthouse have been dropped, according to a company
statement.

After
discussions held between Coalfire and the Dallas County Attorney and Sheriff’s Office
it was decided to dismiss the charges of third-degree burglary and possession
of burglary tools. At the time there was some confusion as the Iowa Judicial
Branch confirmed in a press release that Coalfire
was hired to check for vulnerabilities in its electronic records, but the
agreement “did not intend, or anticipate, those efforts to include the forced
entry into a building.”

“With
positive lessons learned, a new dialogue now begins with a focus on improving
best practices and elevating the alignment between security professionals and
law enforcement,” said Coalfire CEO
Tom McAndrew, adding, “We’re grateful to the global security community
for their support throughout this experience.”

Coalfire staffers Gary
Demercurio and Justin Wynn were arrested on September 11, 2019 as they were
walking around on the court house’s third floor allegedly carrying a variety of
burglary tools. The Perry News quoted a police report that upon arrest the men claimed,
“they were contracted to break into the building for Iowa courts to check the
security of the building.”