A man found a box of documents containing confidential information about more than 200 people next to the trash.

HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) – In a secluded garbage collection area at the Burgess Road Shopping Center in Harrisonburg, one man says he found a box of documents containing sensitive information on more than 200 people.

“Every piece of information, from a photocopy of your ID, your car title, your place of work, your phone number, your next of kin, emergency contacts and your address – you name it, it was there,” the man said , who decided to use David’s name to protect his identity.

After discovering the files, David turned them over to the Harrisonburg Police Department. He said he was devastated to see people’s confidential information left out in the open.

“With the current state of the world, I couldn’t leave it like that,” David said. “It’s about trust; it’s about honesty…imagine if it was someone you knew.”

Each file was marked with the logo of CMF Auto Sales and Detailing, a used car dealership business in Staunton that has been permanently closed since 2020. Many are wondering how the files ended up in a shopping center 30 minutes away and why this happened four times. years after the closure of the enterprise.

“If I bought a car there and someone found a box like this, I don’t know how I would feel,” David said. “You don’t know what you would have felt until it happened, but I know what I felt, and it wasn’t even me.”

According to law enforcement, businesses are required to burn or destroy important documents after five years. If not properly disposed of, confidential information may end up in the wrong hands. In severe cases, this can put people at risk of identity theft.

WHSV was able to contact CMF Auto Sales owner Dustin Finnell, who said he burned most of the documents and didn’t know they were even in Harrisonburg, let alone left them at the mall.

“I’m sorry this happened, but it shouldn’t have happened. It’s not my fault,” Finnell said. “Thank you to the good citizen who turned him in.”

Lt. Chris Monahan with the Harrisonburg Police Department confirmed they have received documents and the incident is under investigation.