WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Kansas City parents Al and Carolyn Novak issued the following statement today on the release of the Novak’s son, Matthew Novak, from the United Arab Emirates, where he was improperly detained after becoming a victim of identity theft. Senator Blunt has, over the past several weeks, worked closely with the Novak family, the State Department, and UAE officials to help secure Matthew’s release.  

“Matt is very much a humanitarian who only wants to make a positive difference in the lives of the young children he teaches,” said Carolyn Novak. “We are very grateful to Senator Blunt, who worked diligently with us to help secure Matt’s release during these difficult three weeks. We always felt like we had someone on our side, and we have no doubt that Senator Blunt’s efforts played a significant role in Matt’s rapid transit through the UAE court system.”

Matthew was detained in the UAE last month after his passport was stolen in 2010 and his identity used to fraudulently secure nearly $90,000 in loans. Despite the fact that Matthew reported the passport stolen and was out of the country when the loans were made, UAE prosecutors failed to recognize Matthew as a victim of identity theft, resulting in the family being forced to pay nearly $35,000 to secure Matthew’s release in the most timely manner possible. 

Blunt added, “I’m incredibly relieved, as I know many in the community are, that Matthew’s nightmare is over and he’s able to return to the invaluable work he’s doing as a teacher. We cannot tolerate the unjust imprisonment of any American abroad, and I’m disappointed that Matthew was ever put in this position in the first place. Fraud and identify theft are international problems as well as domestic ones. We need to have better international consultation and information sharing to prevent these crimes and protect Americans.”

Senator Blunt is the lead cosponsor of a bipartisan Senate bill, the Data Security Act (S. 961), that would require clear security standards to prevent data breaches that lead to identity theft and financial fraud, and set a consistent national standard for consumer notification in the event of a breach.