The Statement#
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE#
Contact: Matthers Seismic Communications press@matthersseismic.com City of Redwood City Public Information Office pio@redwoodcity.org
Joint Statement Regarding Recent Incidents and Systems Review
REDWOOD CITY, CA — Matthers Seismic, in coordination with the City of Redwood City and relevant law enforcement agencies, is issuing this joint statement to address recent incidents involving unauthorized access to municipal infrastructure systems and to outline steps taken to enhance security protocols moving forward.
Following a comprehensive internal review, Matthers Seismic has implemented updated access management procedures, credential rotation policies, and enhanced monitoring of all contractor and service account permissions. The company has worked closely with cybersecurity consultants to ensure that legacy system vulnerabilities have been identified and remediated.
The City of Redwood City has completed an independent audit of its networked infrastructure and has implemented mandatory password complexity requirements, two-factor authentication protocols, and regular access reviews for all municipal systems. The audit revealed no evidence of ongoing unauthorized access or data exfiltration.
While the investigation into specific incidents remains ongoing and subject to legal proceedings, both organizations wish to emphasize that public safety was never compromised, that no critical infrastructure was damaged or materially affected, and that all building safety inspections and seismic risk assessments conducted by Matthers Seismic during the relevant period met or exceeded industry standards and regulatory requirements.
Matthers Seismic’s proprietary risk assessment methodology continues to deliver industry-leading accuracy in structural evaluation. The company recently welcomed back Dr. Emily Chen as Chief Technical Consultant to oversee continued refinement of the company’s analytical framework and to ensure seamless knowledge transfer and documentation of all core systems.
“Matthers Seismic remains committed to protecting the structural integrity of buildings across the Bay Area,” said Marcus Webb, CEO. “We’ve taken this opportunity to strengthen both our technical systems and our organizational practices. We’re grateful for the partnership with city officials and law enforcement throughout this process.”
City Manager Andrea Horvath noted, “The safety of Redwood City residents is our highest priority. This incident has allowed us to modernize our infrastructure security practices and strengthen our partnerships with contractors. We are confident in the integrity of all city systems moving forward.”
Both organizations wish to acknowledge the seriousness with which they approach questions of system access, data security, and public trust. Enhanced training programs have been implemented for all technical staff, and regular security audits will be conducted on an ongoing basis.
The individual involved in the unauthorized access is no longer affiliated with Matthers Seismic or the City of Redwood City in any capacity. The matter has been referred to appropriate authorities and both organizations are cooperating fully with all investigations.
Matthers Seismic and the City of Redwood City consider this matter resolved from an operational standpoint and will have no further public comment pending the conclusion of legal proceedings.
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INTERNAL ROUTING METADATA (not for publication) Approved: Legal (JKS), Comms (MT), Executive (MW) Cleared: City Attorney, PIO Filed: Case #2024-RWC-10847 Archive: Public_Statements/2024/Q4/
From: Marcus Webb mwebb@matthersseismic.com To: Andrea Horvath ahorvath@redwoodcity.org Date: November 18, 2024 Subject: RE: Final statement review
Andrea—
Appreciate the quick turnaround. I think we threaded the needle here. Legal is satisfied, board is satisfied, and I don’t think anyone’s going to push back on the language.
Chen tells me the system documentation project is going to take another six months, minimum. Turns out the old guy really did keep everything in his head. We’re essentially reverse-engineering our own product.
But that’s an internal problem. Externally, we’re aligned.
Thanks again for the partnership on this. Let’s plan that coffee once things settle.
—M
REDWOOD CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT CASE DISPOSITION SUMMARY Case #2024-RWC-10847 Incident Type: Unauthorized Computer Access / Trespass Disposition: CLOSED – Prosecution Declined Date: November 22, 2024
Defendant entered plea agreement including probation, restitution (equipment disposal), mandatory mental health evaluation and treatment, and prohibition on computer use outside of court-approved employment purposes. No contest plea to misdemeanor trespass (PC 602) and unauthorized computer access (PC 502(c)(2)). Felony charges declined by DA.
Victim Impact: No measurable financial loss or system damage documented by Matthers Seismic or City of Redwood City. Proprietary code restoration deemed not recoverable; company proceeding with alternative technical solution.
Restitution: $4,200 (drone equipment disposal, service account audit costs)
Court-Ordered Conditions: 24 months probation, ongoing psychiatric treatment, no contact with former employer or city officials, internet use monitoring.
Investigative Notes: Subject cooperative throughout. Expressed genuine confusion regarding criminal nature of access methods. Psychological evaluation (attached) indicates defendant believed access was technically permissible due to his role in system architecture. No evidence of financial motive or intent to cause harm.
Case closed. No further action required.
The Redwood City municipal fiber network still runs through the HVAC corridor on the third floor of the Sequoia Building, behind the same access panel, painted the same beige as the walls. The security cameras downtown still rotate on their schedules, lenses clean, recording to the same servers.
On alternate weekends, a fourteen-year-old boy stays with his mother in Mountain View and builds nothing in particular.
The system works as designed.
Editorial Note#
The Statement ~780 words Grade: A
This is the ending. Not satisfying. Not redemptive. Not even particularly dramatic. Just… resolved. Filed. Forgotten.
The horror is formal. Three institutional voices saying nothing, a brief email showing the real relationship (we’re aligned), a case disposition that reduces the entire book to “no measurable financial loss,” and then those final three fragments.
The fiber still runs through the same corridor. The cameras still rotate. Danny still exists but not in relation to his father. And that last line.
The reader should feel the absence of resolution like a missing stair. They should be angry that this is the ending, and then realize—slowly, uncomfortably—that this IS the ending. This is how it actually ends. Not with justice or understanding or even closure. With alignment.
Perfect. Don’t touch it.
Continuity notes:
- Marcus Webb remains CEO (consistent with ch. 39-40)
- Chen is back as consultant (consistent with ch. 40)
- Danny’s custody arrangement maintained
- Case number, dates, and disposition align with the timeline
- The proprietary code remains unrecovered (as established in ch. 38-39)
Function:
- Payoff: The entire book’s themes delivered through form itself
- Reframe: Jeff’s story disappears into bureaucracy—which is its own kind of horror
- Commit: The book refuses to comfort the reader. The system works as designed.
Ready to file.