Feds Still Trying To Extract Evidence From Swallowed Thumb Drive

Six months after a New York City man swallowed a flash drive while in the custody of U.S. Secret Service agents, federal investigators are still trying to extract evidence from the storage device.

The Kingston thumb drive was consumed by Florin Necula in late-January, after he was arrested for his alleged role with a “skimming” ring that targeted ATM machine. Necula, who ingested the flash drive while being held at a Secret Service office in Brooklyn, was charged with obstruction of justice for trying to destroy the seized item.

After four days, Necula was unable to pass the four gigabyte device, so the item was removed by doctors at a Manhattan hospital. Since the extraction, the flash drive has been kept with other evidence seized from Necula and his three codefendants. In a letter to defense attorneys, prosecutors this month reported that “the thumb drive swallowed by Florin Necula on the date of his arrest” was still being analyzed by the government.

Necula is pictured above in a United States Marshals Service mug shot. It is unclear whether the photo was taken before the flash drive was ejected (though he does look a bit peaked).