Engineer Embedded Fake Crashes in His Software Just to Keep His Job

I still recall the time my own editing suite glitched after a routine update—my heart leapt until I realised it was just a corrupted plug-in. But what if those crashes were no accident? That was the reality inside Siemens when 62-year-old David A. Tinley began slipping logic bombs into vital order-management spreadsheets, all to protect himself from the spectre of automation.

desperate gambit to stay indispensable

Tinley had managed a custom spreadsheet-based application at Siemens since 2000, using it to track electrical equipment orders. As software automation loomed, he grew convinced his role was under threat. Beginning in 2002, he surreptitiously introduced random errors into the code—forcing management to call on him alone to resolve each malfunction. “I couldn’t let go; I needed to be the one fixing these issues,” he later admitted.

The ruse delivered short-lived job security but at a steep price: colleagues were baffled by intermittent crashes, project deadlines slipped, and trust eroded. In May 2016, a critical order forced Siemens to demand his password remotely, triggering an IT audit that uncovered the embedded faults. Siemens estimates the ensuing forensic investigation cost $42,000, plus $5,000 in additional damages.

the ‘tinley logic’ exposed and legal reckoning

Once Siemens detected the sabotage, the case landed with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Tinley was charged with computer sabotage, accused of billing Siemens to “fix” problems he had engineered himself. At trial, he initially blamed Microsoft Excel updates, claiming he was merely protecting his “personal code.” Confronted with clear evidence of deliberate tampering, he ultimately pled guilty to intentionally harming a protected computer.

Though he faced up to ten years in prison and $250,000 in fines, Tinley was sentenced to six months behind bars and ordered to pay a $7,500 fine. In court, prosecutors warned that such schemes, driven by fear of obsolescence, risk crossing the line from ingenuity to outright fraud. Tinley’s downfall serves as a stark lesson: manipulating software to secure your position may seem clever, but the personal and legal costs are rarely worth the gamble.

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Brandon Lee

Hi, I’m Brandon from the Decatur Metro team. I guide you through the trends and events reshaping our region.