Sacred Art Tattoo in Flat Rock admits tossing sensitive documents
Sacred Art Tattoo in Flat Rock admits tossing sensitive documents
FLAT ROCK, Mich. (WJBK) –
The tattoos may be sacred, but your personal information may not be.
Fox 2 found company documents containing client’s personal information, including birth certificates, drivers licenses, social security numbers and credit card information.
We talked owner Steve Fisher Sunday night. He said it wasn’t intentional, and believes his girlfriend may be to blame.
“I didn’t do it,” Fisher said. “We are remodeling, and my girlfriend probably did it and I’m sure that’s what happened. I really apologize.”
Wherever the blame falls, stacks and stacks of his client’s most personal information were found stuffed in a dumpster at Parsons Elementary School in Gibraltar.
We spoke with a woman who said she found the documents there last week. Her identity has been concealed.
“THis is everything as far as your social security number, your birth certificate,” she told Fox 2. “Everything you need to steal an identity is in that trash can.”
So what else did the owner have to say?
“I’m just blown away that I’ll be on the news for something I didn’t do,” he said when confronted inside his shop. “My girlfriend remodeled the house and I just tried to get rid of them. How else am I supposed to get ride of them? Burn them or throw them away?”
Actually, yes. At least that’s what state law requires.
Some of the documents we found are client consent forms from as recent as last year. But the State Department of Community Health clearly requires all body art facilities to keep all records for at least 3 years, so clients can be notified of a health risk.
After 3 years are up, the State says client records may be destroyed, by shredding or incinerating, or any other manner that protects the confidentiality of all client-related documents.
That’s a policy that Steve Fisher claimed he didn’t know about.
But he did say he’d brush up on that state code.
“It won’t happen again,” Fisher said.
Legal Shred
235 Apollo Beach Blvd #507
Apollo Beach, FL 33572
813-445-7301