NO ACTION PLANNED FOR FIRED SECURITY WORKER AT MILLSTONE

Waterford — The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has decided to take no further action regarding an employee of Securitas working at Millstone Power Station who did not report having been arrested while off duty on April 2, 2011, until several months after the incident.

The employee, who was not named, was fired by Securitas, a firm that provides security services at the plant, after it learned in December of her arrest. Securitas learned of the arrest when she completed a questionnaire required to have her unescorted access privileges to the nuclear power plant site renewed. The NRC issued a notice last week announcing that it has reviewed the incident and determined no further action is warranted.

Neil Sheehan, spokesman for the NRC, said Thursday that the agency reviewed procedures at Millstone related to the reporting of arrests and is satisfied that the proper actions were taken and no changes in reporting systems are needed. Other nuclear power plants were notified about the worker’s arrest and termination.

“The company did the right thing,” he said. “Working at a nuclear power plant has certain responsibilities that go with it. The workers are in a position of responsibility, and an arrest could impact the way that their employers assign unauthorized cash withdrawals using stolen bank account information between February and July of last year.

Prosecutors said the skimming scheme involved installing devices on ATMs that recorded information encoded on the magnetic strips of bank cards used by ATM customers. They added that the group also put hidden pinhole cameras on ATMs to record users’ personal identification numbers. That information allowed them to create counterfeit bank cards and steal money from those customers’ accounts, authorities said.

Among the banks affected was the Webster Bank ATM at 654 Long Hill Road in Groton, where the group placed a skimming device on May 12, 2011.

Graham conspired with two Turkish nationals, according to the prosecutor’s office, including 40-year-old Ahmet Cilek, who lived with Graham for a time in New London. Cilek and Mehmet Aydin have both pleaded guilty and await sentencing.

Prosecutors said the trio victimized 11 banks and one credit union in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, stealing $336,057.64 from more than 250 different bank accounts.

Each defendant was originally charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, six counts of bank fraud and six counts of identify theft.

As part of the sentence, Graham must pay full restitution.

The Connecticut Financial Crimes Task Force conducted the investigation with help and support from numerous local, state and federal agencies.