NBA Star Claims Hard Drive Foul

MAY 1--An NBA star claims that a Texas company hired to repair his computer instead removed the machine's hard drive and sold the item--which contained confidential personal and financial information--to another customer. In a Bexar County District Court lawsuit, San Antonio Spurs forward Bruce Bowen seeks more than $2 million in damages from Computer Nerdz, the San Antonio company he and his wife hired last year to repair his Gateway computer. According to Bowen, who this week was named to his seventh NBA all-defensive team, a Computer Nerdz technician told them that the computer's hard drive was damaged and could not be repaired. Since Bowen's computer was still under warranty, he was entitled to a new hard drive from Gateway, though he was required to return the damaged item to the company. Before Bowen sent the hard drive to Gateway, Computer Nerdz 'copied all of his information onto discs for later installation onto his new hard drive,' according to a November 2006 letter from Bowen's lawyer. Computer Nerdz then gave Bowen back what he thought was his damaged hard drive. But three months later the athlete was contacted by Joy Roan, a Computer Nerdz customer who reported that she had bought a 'new' hard drive containing personal and financial information on Bowen and his wife Yardley. Roan called Bowen after finding his home number on the hard drive, which was operational. According to Bowens's complaint, a copy of which you can find below, as 'a member of the San Antonio Spurs, they have gone extreme measures to protect their private information from the public.' The Bowens are seeking $562,400 in economic damages, $1.2 million in mental anguish damages, $500,000 in exemplary damages, and $25,500 in legal fees. (7 pages)