A Des Moines man has been sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment for computer fraud that significantly disrupted the Saydel Community School District's operations for over a year and a half.
Ezekiel Dean Potter, 34, received his sentence on June 11, 2026, which also includes three years of supervised release and an order to pay $59,668.81 in restitution to the school district and its insurer. Potter was terminated from the district's IT department in April 2023, but not before downloading over 300 usernames and passwords for District accounts.
Using these credentials, Potter launched a series of attacks from June 2023 to January 2025, including taking down social media pages, attempting to revoke employee access, and deleting District accounts and information. These actions led to district-wide technology outages and culminated in January 2025 with attacks that suspended classes for multiple hours.
"Ezekiel Potter’s theft and malicious use of sensitive data to target his former employer resulted in significant disruptions to school operations," said Eugene Kowel, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Omaha Field Office. Kowel added that the FBI and its partners would pursue criminals who "weaponize privileged access to computer systems to harm victims and commit fraud." The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Polk County Sherriff’s Office investigated the case.