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Dallas County $600K settlement over wrongful pen-test arrest

Regulatory/Legal Action
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1 unique sources, 1 articles

Summary

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Dallas County, Iowa agreed to a $600,000 settlement to resolve the wrongful-arrest dispute tied to an authorized courthouse penetration test, closing a six-and-a-half-year legal fight for Gary De Mercurio and Justin Wynn. The payment matters because the two security professionals were arrested for burglary after carrying out a contracted security evaluation with state approval. The settlement provides a civil resolution, but the pair say it does not fully offset the career and financial damage from the case.

Related Happenings

Gary De Mercurio and Justin Wynn arrested by Dallas County sheriff

Law Enforcement
First: 02.02.2026 23:57 Last: 02.02.2026 23:57 Sources 1

How related: On those grounds he ordered them arrested, and they spent the night in jail.

About this happening: A Dallas County sheriff **ordered the arrest** of **Gary De Mercurio** and **Justin Wynn** after a **courthouse alarm test**, turning an authorized security evaluation into an ove...

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Timeline

  1. 02.02.2026 23:57 1 articles · 3mo ago

    Dallas County courthouse penetration test leads to arrest

    Untyped Phase

    Gary De Mercurio and Justin Wynn, then Coalfire employees conducting a contracted security evaluation for the state of Iowa's Judicial Branch, intentionally triggered the alarm system at the Dallas County, Iowa courthouse on Sep. 11, 2019; after police reviewed their documentation, a county sheriff ordered their arrest for burglary, they spent the night in jail, and a judge later set bail at $50,000 each.

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  2. 02.02.2026 23:57 2 articles · 3mo ago

    Dallas County settles wrongful-arrest dispute for $600,000

    Legal Policy Action Update

    Dallas County, Iowa agreed to a $600,000 settlement resolving the wrongful-arrest dispute tied to the authorized courthouse penetration test, ending a six-and-a-half-year legal fight for Gary De Mercurio and Justin Wynn.

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