The U.S. government is prosecuting an American citizen for wiping the contents of his phone, including his photos in a first-of-its-kind case. The U.S. Department of Justice has charged American citizen Sam Tunick after he allegedly erased the contents of his phone while federal agents were attempting to seize it at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on January 24, 2025. According to prosecutors, federal agents detained Tunick at the airport to question him about alleged child exploitation images. Agents seized the phone anyway before telling Tunick he was free to leave and could enter the United States. The Justice Department later charged Tunick under a federal law that makes it illegal to knowingly destroy or damage property to prevent authorities from seizing it.