A former contracted IT worker for the city of Vineyard is accused of accessing the city’s email system after he was fired — then leaking confidential emails on social media.

Wesley Fullenwider, 31, was charged Wednesday in 4th District Court with two counts of unlawful computer access to obtain confidential information (a third-degree felony), plus two counts of unlawful computer access (a class B misdemeanor).

Fullenwider worked for Onward Technology, an IT company that contracts with Vineyard, according to charging documents. The confidential emails he allegedly shared had been sent by Vineyard’s mayor and other city employees.

In his work with the city, Fullenwider’s access allowed him to reset passwords, set up computers and troubleshoot problems, charging documents state.

Technicians like Fullenwider may also be able to access employee email accounts, prosecutors said, but they aren’t authorized to look at correspondence.

In January, Vineyard Mayor Zack Stratton asked Onward Technology to replace Fullenwider after city staff reported “unprofessional conduct,” according to a city statement posted on Facebook late Wednesday.

Fullenwider’s replacement later helped identify the “alleged breach,” the city said. In May, officials asked Onward Technology to investigate.

Onward’s CEO discovered that Fullenwider had allegedly accessed several Vineyard email accounts without authorization, the charging documents state. Fullenwider was fired from Onward that month.

By that time, investigators say Fullenwider had already opened more than 700 emails, including messages from official Vineyard accounts that the city said he later posted to a Vineyard community Facebook group.

Stratton told investigators that some of those emails contained confidential attorney-client correspondence between City Council members and an attorney who represents Vineyard, charging documents state.

At least five emails identified by investigators involved the city attorney and included a disclaimer that read, “attorney-client communications, protected document not for publication,” prosecutors say.

Fullenwider said he had obtained the emails through public records requests, the charges say. But investigators “confirmed that Fullenwider had not submitted any [records] requests to Vineyard City to access the emails he had posted to Facebook.”

The city has since ended its contract with Onward Technology, according to the statement, and notified everyone whose “sensitive information” was compromised.

“Protecting City records and the personal information entrusted to us is a responsibility we take seriously,” Stratton wrote in the statement. “When we learned of the potential unauthorized access, we sought answers, contacted law enforcement, and followed their guidance.”

The mayor added that the city is taking steps to strengthen its protections against future breaches and identify “vulnerabilities” in its systems.

If convicted, Fullenwider could serve up to five years in prison for each of the two felony charges and up to six months in jail for each of the two misdemeanors.