A story out of small-town Ohio currently making the rounds online should serve as a cautionary tale for would-be crooks: if you're gonna lie to the cops, make sure you're not wearing any tracking devices that could throw off your alibi.
A 59-year-old man from Middletown, Ohio was indicted on charges of arson and fraud after police inspected data from his pacemaker, which didn't match up to his story.
Local WLWT5 reports Ross Compton's house burned down last September under questionable circumstances. Investigators were suspicious of an insurance fraud scheme from the moment Compton called 911—he reportedly told a dispatcher that after spotting the blaze, he was able to run back to the house, pack his bags, then book it out a window he broke with a walking stick.
Aside from the ridiculous action movie aspects of his story, there was a major red flag from the start: Compton has a laundry list of health issues, which require an artificial heart implant with an eternal pump and electronic pacemaker. He told the dispatcher about his artificial heart, setting himself up for scrutiny immediately.
Local police then obtained a search warrant for the Compton's pacemaker data, according to court records obtained by the Journal-News.
After a cardiologist reviewed the data from Compton's pacemaker, the gig was up. The cardiologist concluded "it is highly improbable Mr. Compton would have been able to collect, pack and remove the number of items from the house, exit his bedroom window and carry numerous large and heavy items to the front of his residence during the short period of time he has indicated due to his medical conditions," according to court records.
While it was the pacemaker data that ultimately took him down, Compton probably wasn't going to get away clean, anyway—court records also reveal police found gasoline on his shoes, pants and shirt, and fire investigators discovered multiple points of origin of the fire outside the house as well.
As we continue to adopt more tracking tech, it's important to remember that these devices can remember our every move. Big Brother might not constantly have his eye on us, but if he needs to go back and check the record, the data's probably there for him.
