First Federal Prosecution for Using a Duress Password to Wipe a Phone at the U.S. Border

The Justice Department is prosecuting Atlanta resident Samuel Tunick for giving CBP agents a passcode that wiped his GrapheneOS phone during a secondary inspection at Hartsfield-Jackson airport on January 24, 2025. The duress password feature erased the device's storage before seizure. Charged under 18 U.S.C. § 2232, Tunick has pleaded not guilty. The first hearing was held the week of July 23, 2026.