Ismail J. Ramsey, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California
A federal jury has found Naheed Mangi, a former Stanford University employee, guilty of unauthorized access and alteration of a clinical research database for a breast cancer study. The verdict was reached after a two-week trial before Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Davila.
Mangi worked as a clinical research coordinator at Stanford's National Cancer Institute from September 2012 to August 2013. Her responsibilities included reporting patient events and entering data into the study database. She was involved in the "Velvet Breast Cancer MO27782 Study," sponsored by Genentech, which focused on an experimental treatment for metastatic or locally advanced breast cancer.
After her termination on August 19, 2013, Mangi's access to Stanford-related systems was revoked. However, she logged into the database later that evening and altered patient data with erroneous information and insults directed at her former supervisor. This led to an internal investigation by Stanford, necessitating re-entry of all participant data from source documents and reporting the incident to regulatory authorities including the FDA.
Acting United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins commented on the case: “Naheed Mangi intentionally tampered with a breast cancer research database by entering false information and personal insults. Her senseless actions undermined a study into the safety and efficacy of a new treatment for breast cancer patients.”
U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Shawn Bradstreet added: “Naheed Mangi’s actions jeopardized important cancer research and caused thousands in financial loss to Stanford University."
Mangi was convicted of two counts of Intentional Damage to a Protected Computer and one count of Accessing a Protected Computer Without Authorization under 18 U.S.C. § 1030(a). She faces up to 10 years in prison for each intentional damage conviction and one year for unauthorized access.
The case is prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nikhil Bhagat and Matthew Chang with assistance from several legal professionals, following an investigation by the Secret Service.
