Fmr. Minnesota Timberwolves employee pleads guilty to stealing executive's hard drive

MINNEAPOLIS — A former Minnesota Timberwolves employee has entered a guilty plea in connection to the theft of a team executive's hard drive that contained "strategic NBA information," among other things, officials said.

According to court documents, Somak Sarkar pleaded guilty Wednesday to a gross misdemeanor charge of unauthorized computer access. He was initially charged with third-degree burglary , which is a felony.

The criminal complaint identifies the owner of the hard drive as "S.G.," an executive vice president for the Wolves. Sachin Gupta serves as the team's EVP of basketball operations, according to a media guide posted on the team's website.

The complaint states the EVP left a hard drive connected to his laptop in his downtown Minneapolis office on Feb. 2. When he returned to work on Monday, the hard drive was gone.

Investigators said surveillance footage showed Sarkar entering the EVP's office on Feb. 3. Sarkar was fired after the footage surfaced. He said he took the hard drive "to put some stuff on it" but forgot to return it, according to the complaint.

Another employee got the hard drive back from Sarkar, and the Wolves sent both the hard drive and Sarkar's laptop to be analyzed. In addition to basketball information, the hard drive also contained the EVP's social security number, tax details and bank account information, investigators said.

Sarkar used to work under the EVP, but was transferred to the coaching staff in August 2023 "due to job performance," the complaint states.

Sarkar's sentencing is scheduled for July 9.

NOTE: Video is from March 20, 2024