Chris Johnson describes his reaction to receiving the personal information of another person in the mail. (June 14, 2010)

DENVER – We all know how important it is to protect your social security number and other personal information. So imagine how you’d feel if a government agency sent your personal information to a stranger and didn’t even notify you?

That’s what happened in Adams County. 

“You could ruin someone’s life,” Chris Johnson says.

The recently-married Adams County resident requested a copy of marriage license and application from the Clerk and Recorder’s office. But the marriage license application he received in the mail belonged to another man: Eduardo Martinez of Thornton.

The documents contained Eduardo’s Social Security number, his place of birth, date of birth, parents’ names and his spouse’s personal information too.

Chris says when he opened the envelope, “my heart just sank. He immediately suspected Adams County’s mix-up had put his own information in jeopardy. “I was scared to death. That all you hear about is identity theft.”

Chris went to the county marriage license office. Adams County admitted it made a mistake and apologized.

“(The clerk) was like, ‘This has never happened here.’ And I’m thinking, yeah right,” Chris says.

But when Chris asked if the county would be held accountable if his identity was stolen, he says the county told him it could not protect him.

The Adams County Clerk and Recorder told FOX 31 “someone simply stuffed Eduardo’s information into the wrong envelope.” The county “does not believe Chris Johnson’s personal information was ever compromised.”

FOX31 used Eduardo Martinez’s marriage license application to track him down at his Thornton home. He was surprised to learn his personal information had been sent to a stranger and was shocked Adams County had not informed him of the critical error.

“This is my life, I could lose everything,” Eduardo told us.

“Adams County called me and asked me how good of a job they did –and I told them they did a good job…and then to find out this happened?” It’s just very disappointing.”

Still, Eduardo is grateful his Social Security number and other personal information didn’t end up in the wrong hands.

“I’d like to thank (Chris) for being honest.”