Their phones were to be surrendered as part of an investigation. Wiping them is destroying records.

It’s different if you’re just returning a work phone, or preparing to sell or transfer a personal phone.

When members of a group do it more or less en masse, it implies that they have something to hide.

> Their phones were to be surrendered as part of an investigation. Wiping them is destroying records.

Yeah, isn't that very literally obstruction of justice?

Only if they decide it is, or if a judge is willing to learn that their entire family decided to commit seppuku while they were at work.

As a routine practice, yes. If my phone was subpoenaed (or likely to be in the future), wiping my phone would be against the law. I would only do so if the risk was worth it.

You have risk.

FBI agents - not so much.