STIPULATION AND PROTECTIVE ORDER RE: DISSEMINATION OF DISCOVERY DOCUMENTS CONTAINING PERSONAL IDENTIFYING INFORMATION

DALE A. DROZD, Magistrate Judge.

IT IS HEREBY STIPULATED AND AGREED among the parties that the documents provided as discovery in this case to defense counsel are subject to a Protective Order. Defendants are charged with engaging in a mortgage fraud scheme.

The parties agree that discovery in this case contains "Protected Information," which is defined here as including victim, co-defendant and witness social security numbers, driver's license numbers, bank account numbers, dates of birth, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, financial records, tax records, and immigration records. The Protective Order signed in this case extends to all documents provided, including those concerning conduct not directly charged in the Indictment.

By signing this Stipulation, defense counsel agrees that the Protected Information is being entrusted to counsel only for the purposes of representing his/her respective defendant in this criminal case. Further, defense counsel agrees not to share any documents that contain Protected Information with anyone other than his/her designated defense investigators, experts, and support staff. Defense counsel may permit the defendants to review the Protected Information and be aware of its contents, but defendants shall not be given control of the Protected Information or be provided any copies of the Protected Information which has not been redacted. Any person receiving Protected Information or a copy of the Protected Information from counsel for the defendants shall be bound by the same obligations as counsel and further may not give the Protected Information to anyone (except that the protected documents shall be returned to counsel).

Notwithstanding the foregoing, counsel, staff and/or the investigator for the defendant may make copies of the Protected Information for trial preparation and presentation. Any copies must, however, remain in the possession of counsel, investigator, staff, expert or the Court.

Nothing in this Stipulation and Protective Order prevents a defense counsel or his/her respective defendant from maintaining unredacted copies of records concerning that respective defendant's own Protected Information.

In the event that the defendant substitutes counsel, undersigned defense counsel agrees to withhold these documents from new counsel unless and until substituted counsel agrees also to be bound by this order.

IT IS SO ORDERED.