"Data Breach Exposes 1.6 Million Washington State Residents Who Filed Unemployment Claims in 2020"

Case No. 658931

The City of Seattle vs Shane Lozenich

Arrested: 03/07/2021 | Released: 03/08/2021

Judge: Catherine Mcdowall Cause: Violation Of No Contact Order (DV)- No Complaint Filed

Case Summary

The legal case of City of Seattle vs. Shane Lozenich (Case No. 658931) stemmed from a March 2021 arrest for an alleged violation of a no-contact order, which was ultimately dismissed without prejudice because no formal complaint was ever filed. This conflict arose during COVID-19 lockdowns as a rental relationship with a music teacher deteriorated, a situation exacerbated by a State Auditor's Office data breach that exposed Lozenich to account hacking and threatening messages from strangers who monitored his movements. Lozenich reported the onset of Voice-to-Skull (V2K) harassment, including high-frequency sounds and agonizing physical symptoms he suspected were caused by unusual AV equipment—such as electrometers and frequency devices—ordered by his roommate. Despite his attempts to report physical abuse and suspicious activity involving missing neighbors, the Seattle Police Department refused to investigate or file reports, citing pandemic-related precinct closures. Consequently, the roommate was able to obtain a protection order against Lozenich, leading to his eviction and arrest, an outcome characterized by the Journal of Legal Systems & Civil Liberties as a systemic failure involving due process violations and a mental health bias that sidelined substantive claims of technological surveillance.

Image: Pat McCarthy, WA State Auditor

"The Office of the Washington State Auditor (“SAO”) was recently made aware of a data security incident involving Accellion, a third-party provider of hosted file transfer services. You are receiving this e-mail because your information was in a data file that was involved in the security incident. That file included personal information of people who received unemployment benefits from the State of Washington in the 2017 to 2020 time period."

The provided page from the LegalPortal documents Case No. 658931 (City of Seattle vs. Shane Lozenich), detailing a 2021 arrest and the broader circumstances of alleged technological harassment and institutional failure.

Case Overview and Background

The Incident: Shane Lozenich was arrested on March 7, 2021, for an alleged Violation of a No Contact Order (DV). He was released the following day, and the case was eventually dismissed without prejudice because no formal complaint was ever filed.
The Conflict: The situation arose from a deteriorating relationship between Lozenich and his roommate (a music teacher) during COVID-19 lockdowns. Lozenich reports that the isolation led to aggressive and controlling behavior from the roommate.
Data Breach and Stalking: Around the same time, a State Auditor's Office data breach exposed Lozenich's information. Subsequently, he experienced account hacking and received threatening messages from strangers who accurately described his location and clothing.

Allegations of Technological Harassment

Voice-to-Skull (V2K): Lozenich began hearing "voices taunting and harassing" him, which eventually escalated to physical symptoms, including high-frequency sounds inside his skull, severe headaches, and sharp pains.
Roommate’s Equipment: Lozenich grew suspicious of unusual AV equipment his roommate ordered (electrometers, switchboards, and frequency devices). He believed this equipment was being misused to spy on and physically harm him.
Neighbor Anomalies: Lozenich reported that his long-term neighbors were replaced by unknown individuals and that he heard screams from the property that were masked by the sound of blow dryers. Police wellness checks found no issues.

Institutional and Procedural Failures

Ignored Abuse Reports: Lozenich claims he called 911 multiple times to report physical abuse—including being bitten by his roommate and threatened with a knife by an associate—but Seattle police refused to file reports or investigate, citing pandemic-related precinct closures.
Protective Order Misuse: While Lozenich’s reports were ignored, his roommate successfully filed a protection order against him, leading to Lozenich's eviction and subsequent arrest when he returned to the residence.
Public Defense: The page lists Kris Shaw as the public defender and Allison Cooper as the assistant attorney assigned to the case.

Broader Context and Analysis

Targeted Individual (TI) Community: The page situates this case within a larger narrative of "Targeted Individuals," noting that many TIs report V2K experiences and directed-energy weapon harassment, particularly in Washington State.
Scientific Research: Lozenich references several publications regarding device-free human activity recognition via WiFi, implantable brain chips, and "psycho-electric" weapons to provide a technical basis for his experiences.
Journal Analysis: An included article titled "Surveillance, Silence, & Systemic Failure" argues that this case represents a procedural breakdown. It identifies key issues such as due process violations (arrest without a complaint), the "mental health and competency bias" used to dismiss claims of surveillance, and the legal gaps created by the pandemic.

The page concludes that the case is a "window into the fragility of legal protections," calling for stronger oversight of protective orders and legal protections against technological harassment.

CASE DOCUMENTS

CONTACT INFORMATION

Dexter Horton Building

710 Second Ave Suite 1000

Seattle, WA 98104 (206) 477-5814 (office)

Kris Shaw, Public Defender

kris.shaw@kingcounty.gov

(206) 305-1977 (office)

Allison Cooper, Ast. Attorney

alison.cooper@kingcounty.gov

(206) 321-7084 (cell)

Former roommate with audio equipment including an electrometer

E-Meter (electrometer) used by the Church of Scientology.

More info about the E-Meter

SUPPORTING CLAIMS

MISSING PEOPLE & MILITIA ACTIVITY IN KING COUNTY

Information regarding the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) crisis and Militia Activity in Washington (specifically King County) between 2020 and 2022, the following news summaries and official records provide a detailed look at these events.

1. Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) Context

The 2020–2022 period was a pivotal era for legislative and public action regarding the disproportionate rates of violence against Indigenous communities in Washington.

Establishment of the MMIWP Task Force (2021): In December 2021, the Washington State Attorney General’s Office (AGO) officially convened the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People (MMIWP) Task Force. This was funded by the state legislature to address systemic failures in data collection, jurisdiction, and law enforcement response.
Missing Indigenous Person Alert (MIPA) System (2022): In early 2022, Governor Jay Inslee signed House Bill 1725, making Washington the first state in the nation to create a specific "Silver Alert" style system for missing Indigenous people. This system was activated for the first time in July 2022.
MMIWP Cold Case Unit: Following recommendations from the Task Force in 2022, the state authorized the creation of a specialized Cold Case Unit within the Attorney General’s Office specifically to investigate unsolved homicides and disappearances of Indigenous persons, which occur at a rate significantly higher than other demographics in King County and statewide.

2. Militia Activity and Data Leaks (2020–2021)

Reporting on militia groups in the Pacific Northwest intensified following the events of January 6, 2021, and several data-related incidents linked local individuals to these organizations.

The Oath Keepers and January 6th: News reports and federal indictments from 2021 and 2022 highlighted the presence of the Oath Keepers in Washington. While many high-profile members were from other states, federal trackers (such as those from George Washington University) identified several individuals in Washington who were charged or investigated in connection with the Capitol breach.
The Accellion Data Breach (January 2021): This was a major news story in Washington when the Office of the Washington State Auditor (SAO) suffered a breach via the Accellion file transfer service. This incident compromised the personal data of approximately 1.6 million Washingtonians, primarily those who had filed for unemployment benefits between 2017 and 2020.
LDS and Extremist Groups: While there was no "LDS Militia" identified as an organized entity in King County, independent journalists and watchdog groups (such as the SPLC) reported on the 2021 "Oath Keeper Leaks." These leaks contained membership rolls that included residents from every county in Washington. In some cases, individuals within those rolls were identified as having ties to various religious communities, including the LDS church, though these were reported as individual affiliations rather than church-sanctioned activities.

3. Regional Safety and Legislative Response (Post-2022)

As a direct result of militia activity reported during the 2020–2021 window, the Washington legislature took further steps:

Restriction of "Out-of-State" Militias: More recently, legislation was passed (House Bill 1321) that restricts armed military forces from other states from entering Washington without the governor’s permission, a move specifically citing the rise in unauthorized paramilitary activity observed in recent years.

PUBLIC TESTIMONY

PUBLIC TESTIMONY FROM TARGETED INDIVIDUALS

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) logs and public testimony from individuals who believed they were being targeted.

1. Public Claims and FOIA Records (2020–2021)

Documents from federal and state agencies during this timeframe show a consistent volume of inquiries from Washington residents regarding these technologies:

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Logs: FOIA logs from 2021 and 2022 show multiple requests from individuals in the Pacific Northwest seeking records on "Directed Energy Weapons" (DEW) and "neurological weapons" being used on civilians.
Chemical Safety Board (CSB) Reports: In December 2020, a formal plea was logged by an individual claiming to be under "constant surveillance by police and community stalking" and being "hit with Directed Energy Weapons" in a manner that caused fear for their life.
Havana Syndrome Context: National news during 2021 regarding "Anomalous Health Incidents" (Havana Syndrome) fueled local discussions. While these reports focused on overseas diplomats, they led to increased online discourse among "Targeted Individuals" (TIs) in King County who believed similar microwave or sonic technologies were being used domestically.

2. The "Gangstalking" Phenomenon in WA

Research into the "Targeted Individual" community, which frequently references King County as a hub for such claims, identifies several core themes from the 2020–2021 period:

Digital Context: Community members often link their experiences to data breaches (such as the 2021 Accellion breach mentioned previously), theorizing that their leaked information is being used to coordinate "organized harassment."
COVID-19 Impact: Psychologists and researchers noted that the isolation of 2020–2021 led to an uptick in individuals reporting "gangstalking" symptoms, as increased time online and social distancing exacerbated feelings of being watched or followed.

3. Legislative and Media Reality

Lack of Evidence: To date, neither the Seattle Police Department (SPD) nor the King County Sheriff’s Office has validated any claims of electronic torture or V2K technology being deployed against the public.
Scientific Consensus: Experts in acoustics and neurobiology generally categorize "voice to skull" as a theoretical concept (Microwave Auditory Effect) that has not been successfully weaponized for the type of covert, long-distance "mind control" described in gangstalking narratives.

Case Analysis

Surveillance, Silence, & Systemic Failure: A Case Study of Procedural Breakdown in Seattle

Abstract

This article examines City of Seattle v. Shane Lozenich, a legal episode emblematic of systemic failures in law enforcement, mental health adjudication, and civil liberties during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through firsthand narrative and documented events, the case reveals patterns of ignored abuse reports, questionable psychiatric interventions, and the misuse of protective orders. The analysis explores how technological surveillance, institutional bias, and procedural inconsistencies converge to undermine due process.

Core Legal Issues

Due Process: Arrests made without formal complaints; cases dismissed without trial or evidentiary hearings; repeated psychiatric holds lacking clear justification.
Failure to Investigate: Multiple 911 reports of assault and weapon threats went undocumented; no police reports filed despite allegations of physical violence.
Protective Orders: Protection orders filed by the alleged abuser; defendant's cross-reports of abuse were neither acknowledged nor acted upon.
Technological Harassment: Allegations of invasive surveillance, auditory harassment, and digital intrusion through AV equipment.

Procedural Observations

Because no formal complaint was filed, the court did not issue a written opinion. However, the procedural handling highlights three critical systemic vulnerabilities:

Low Thresholds: Concerns regarding the ease of issuing and enforcing protective orders without corroborating evidence.
Law Enforcement Discretion: The impact of expanded police discretion during pandemic-related shutdowns.
Institutional Fragmentation: A lack of continuity between legal representation and mental health evaluations.

Commentary & Implications

Pandemic-Era Judicial Gaps: COVID-19 disruptions led to precinct closures and limited court access. In this instance, these factors contributed to a breakdown in institutional accountability and emergency response.

Mental Health & Competency Bias: The repeated questioning of the defendant’s competency—absent a thorough investigation of their underlying claims—suggests a trend where psychiatric labeling is used to delegitimize allegations of abuse or surveillance.

Technological Privacy Concerns: Allegations of auditory harassment and digital intrusion raise urgent questions regarding the legal boundaries of domestic surveillance technology. These claims necessitate forensic investigation and updated legal scrutiny.

Proposals for Reform

Enhanced Oversight: Stricter standards for the issuance of protective orders.
Mandatory Documentation: Requirements to investigate abuse claims regardless of external pandemic conditions.
Technological Protections: New legal frameworks to address digital and auditory harassment.
Evidence-Based Evaluations: Mental health assessments that prioritize empirical evidence over procedural assumptions.

Conclusion

The case of City of Seattle v. Shane Lozenich serves as a case study for the fragility of legal protections when systems fail to address complex, intersecting threats. It demands renewed attention to procedural justice, technological accountability, and the rights of individuals navigating simultaneous legal and psychological trauma.