1. Vital Records From Failure to Success: The Importance of Modernizing Office Policies and Procedures

2. Michigan Vital Records History • Vital Record Search and Issuance Procedures • Birth Death Matching • Progression to Efficient Production Standards

3. Vital Record Search and Issuance Procedures • Recording Request for Birth Certificate • 1980’s: issue date on back of birth record • No system to record request for death record • Eligibility Requirements • 1978: statutes changed to specify eligibility • Proof of identification not required • Manual matching of deaths to births • Prone to errors • Takes too much time and resources

4. Birth Death Matching • Deaths matched to births for anyone under 45 • Disadvantages to manual matching • time consuming • prone to error • information erratic from other states

5. Progression to Efficient Production Standards • 1988: Electronic filing • Hospital filing • Changes of birth information • Filing of delayed records • 2003: Electronic Order System • Permanently retains applicant information • Tagging of birth records with death info • 2004: Internal policy changes eligibility standards • Presentation of picture identification • Policies specifying eligibility

6. Jonn Slapp - Bradford Storti Case • 1996: Jonn Slapp birth record requested • Date stamp verified was issued • Key information not retained-tracking system • No applicant history to determine eligibility • No eligibility requirements were verified • 1997: Social Security Administration • Verification request: issued social security number • No tracking record of results

7. Jonn Slapp – Bradford Storti Case • 08/29/2005: Online app for Slapp record • Applicant: Bradford Storti, personal records • Address in Oregon • Application denied, money refunded • Letter sent to applicant explaining eligibility statute • 01/23/2006: Online app for Slapp record • Applicant: Jonn Slapp, for personal reasons • Address in Oregon • Passed eligibility standards • Sent to be processed

8. Jonn Slapp – Bradford Storti Case • Deceased tag in BRS, sent to fraud unit • Verified child born in 1972, died six months later • Record notations: 1996 issuance, 1997 SSA verification • Matched with 2005 request in new tracking system • Obtained security questions from VitalChek.com • Online research – prior arrest and pedophile label • Sent report to Attorney General’s office • Applicant Notification: insufficient ID, pending status

9. Online Research for Attorney General Report • Task force hunt/capture/conviction 1996-1998 • Moved from Michigan to Oregon to evade arrest • Evidence he had assumed another identity • Primary person of interest in internet crimes • Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator • Specified type of crime • Incarceration and release date • Aliases known to have used • National Sex Offender Public Registry • Aliases and image

10. Jonn Slapp – Bradford Storti Case • 08/18/2006: Mailed app for Jonn Slapp record • Applicant is Slapp, for business reasons • Address in Michigan • Tagged as fraud case, submitted to fraud unit • Matched request with two prior applications • Sent letter to customer for copies of identification • Received expired Oregon driver license, SSN Card, Credit Cards with Slapp name

11. Jonn Slapp – Bradford Storti Case • Sent supplemental report to AG office • Provided residence information to police • Arranged telephone conference • 09/15/2006: Arrest in Iron Mountain, Michigan • Able to locate and apprehend • Identification and credit cards confiscated in home and used at trial

12. Reports to Attorney General • Initial notification of possible fraud • MCL violations: requesting record of deceased child • Designated active fraud case in Vital Records office • Supplemental letter to Attorney General • Second and third applicant request • Applicant maintaining is person on the record • Additional online research on applicant • Attorney General collaberated with Michigan State Police to locate and apprehend

13. Arrest and Trial • 10/18/2006: Trial in Lansing, Michigan • Evidence presented • Vital Records documentation of requests • Copies of identifications obtained fraudulently • Result: pled guilty to using internet for committing a crime, possession of child sexually abusive material, distributing/promoting • Back in Federal Prison • 1 count of uttering/publishing:14 year sentence • 1 count identity theft: 5 year sentence

14. Improvements That Facilitated Change • Permanent Retention of Applicant Documentation • Ability to tag records as fraud • Alert capabilities for county offices • Adherence to Proof of Identification • Electronic Birth / Death Matching