R News
A former Monroe County 911 operator is under arrest, accused of accessing highly sensitive and restricted law enforcement information, including that on a terrorism watch list.

Nadire Zenelaj, a native of Albania, is accused of 230 counts of unlawfully accessing restricted law enforcement and criminal records by computer, for her own purpose not related to any official business.
Authorities say Zenelaj had been doing this over a three-year period.

Investigators say Zenelaj had clearance to the information because of her status with the city as a 911 operator and accessed the information at times when her job did not call for her to do so.

On three of the 232 occasions she allegedly accessed the database, authorities say Zenelaj accessed information linked to the site’s terrorism watch list.

She now faces numerous charges, including computer trespass - a Class-E felony.

City leaders relieved Zenelaj of her duties as a 911 operator in December.

Mayor Bob Duffy issued a statement saying that the city is “looking at the many ways in which fraud can take place and taking the necessary steps to protect our citizens.”

In her defense, Zenelaj offered the following statement:

“I totally deny the allegations of computer trespassing and misconduct. Anything that I did at the 911 center was with the training they had given me. I wasn’t the only one. Just about everyone in my position has done the same regardless if whether they hit on any information that was sensitive or not. I deny in any way, shape or form that any information was disseminated. Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a straight and legit person. I don’t have any terrorist ties.”

Democrat & Chronicle
Zenelaj, who was a 911 operator, is accused of unlawfully accessed highly sensitive and restricted law enforcement and criminal records information for her own purposes on multiple occasions, according to a news release from city officials.

She also allegedly accessed highly sensitive information pertaining to the terrorism watch list and obtained this sensitive information for personal reasons, not related to official business.

Zenelaj was fired in December for various violations regarding unauthorized access of computer information and violations of the City of Rochester Ethical Standards of Conduct.