Stephen Silver
One man reportedly stole headphones and other items from the same Apple Store every day for months, in order to support an expensive drug habit. That and more, in the latest Apple-related crime roundup.
The Apple Store in downtown Portland
The latest in an occasional AppleInsider series, looking at the world of Apple crime.
Man stole from Portland Apple Store nearly every day for months
A man in Portland, Ore., stole from that city's Apple Store on a nearly daily basis for several months, according to a probable-cause affidavit cited by Oregon Live. The man would wait for the store's guard to take a break, at which point he would run into the store, steal around $700 worth of Bose headphones or other merchandise, and run back out.
The man, police said, stole in order to support a $150-a-day heroin habit.
Alaska man sentenced for stealing Apple computers
An Alaska man who worked as supervisor for the airline Ravn Alaska has been sentenced on federal charges that he abused his position to steal Apple computers bound for schools in Alaskan villages and then sold them. Breadoflife "Presley" Faiupu, according to the Justice Department statement, was sentenced to five years of probation, with six months of community confinement in a halfway house, in addition to restitution.
Thieves cut into Verizon Store wall to steal 50 iPhones
Two men cut into the wall of a Verizon Store in the Houston area to steal at least 50 iPhones, ABC 13 reported. Police told the station the two thieves cut through the drywall at a vacant adjacent business.
After a brief chase, the two men were arrested.
"Sophisticated" theft scheme resulted in Apple Store purchases
Three suspects are sought for carrying out a multipart theft scheme in Quincy, Mass. According to the Patriot Ledger newspaper, the scheme began with the suspects breaking into lockers at a local YMCA and stealing car keys. They then used the keys to break into cars to steal credit cards, returned the keys to the lockers, and then used the credit cards for fraudulent Apple Store purchases.
Man arrested for armed robbery of cell phone store
Police in Connecticut arrested a man who they say carried out an armed robbery of an AT&T/Sprint Mobile store. The man was one of two suspects who entered the store, pulled a gun, and filled a bag with phones from the store. According to NBC Connecticut, the suspect in custody was arrested outside, when he dropped both an iPhone 8 and a loaded handgun.
He's been charged with robbery, larceny, theft of a firearm, criminal use of a weapon, carrying a pistol without a permit, and breach of peace.
El Chapo's daughter plans iPhone accessories
The notorious Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was convicted last week on ten separate federal counts, including narcotics trafficking, using a firearm in furtherance of his drug crimes and participating in a money laundering conspiracy. But the conviction won't stop Guzman's daughter from selling El Chapo 701-branded products, including iPhone accessories, Complex reported. The line also includes shirts, hats, and cigar accessories.
Guzman, while on the run in 2015, texted with an associate over whether to buy an iPhone 6, Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, or the BlackBerry Leap. The drug lord's wife was caught sneaking an unauthorized cell phone into court during the trial in November, although it was never reported what model the phone was.
iPhone theft victim befriends the recipient of her stolen phone
This column has shared a lot of stories about iPhone owners using Find My iPhone to track down their stolen devices, but not many of them have become pen pals with the person who ended up with her stolen iPhone. But that, in fact, happened when Erica Buist had her iPhone stolen from a London bar. Soon after, she heard from someone claiming to be a 16-year-old boy in India who had ended up with her stolen phone.
According to The Next Web, the boy initiated an email correspondence to ask for the iTunes password, and the two traded emails for over a year. The correspondence appears to have ended, after the iPhone was stolen from the teen.
iPhone stolen from funeral directors
A man in the U.K. reportedly entered a funeral home waving a piece of paper and saying something about construction work and painting. Once the man left the funeral directors noticed an iPhone X was missing.
According to Brighton and Hove Independent, the theft has been linked to another incident in which a man entered a tanning salon and exposed himself to a woman.
T-Mobile store employee accused of stealing 14 iPhones
An employee at a T-Mobile store in Texas was reportedly caught stealing 14 iPhones from the store. According to KXAN, after the man was caught, he agreed to pay restitution in exchange for management not calling police.
When he didn't pay, police were called.
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8 Comments
Popular products are stolen because they are popular. I guess the theft reports indicate a healthy market. Who’da thunk it?
When they start stealing Samsungs instead, Apple will be doomed. DOOOOOMED! (/bender)
Drugs are bad kids mmmmmkay
Funny how Surfaces, Pixels and Galaxies never seem to be as popular among the criminal class.
Wow, one would think that a nearly daily theft of the same item (the first section here with the Bose and AirPods) would alert Apple store management/security to keep a really close eye on those items and identify the culprit much faster than several months. That sort of thing shouldn't take genius-level thinking.