Customs supervisor arrested for swapping government computer parts for personal profit
Terry Liu, a supervisor at the Calais CBP port, was arrested and charged with theft and destruction of government property after allegedly replacing CBP computer components with older parts and trading them in on Newegg.
A Customs and Border Protection supervisor at the Calais, Maine, entry point, Terry Liu, was taken into custody after an FBI affidavit said he illegally exchanged newer computer parts for older models and sent the removed components to Newegg for trade-in credits. The affidavit cites email warnings from Port Director Theodore Cummings in March 2025 prohibiting any hardware modifications, which Liu ignored. Surveillance footage reportedly shows Liu working on the computers after midnight during solo night shifts.
Financial records indicate he received multiple $200 credits on a Delta SkyMiles Platinum card for the trade-ins. Liu admitted that his actions degraded CBP system performance and were motivated by frustration over delayed IT repairs. He has been charged with theft and destruction of government property, each carrying a maximum sentence of ten years and $100,000 in fines, and will stay in custody pending trial.
Why it matters
The case highlights vulnerabilities in government IT security and potential abuse of public assets for personal gain.
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