iPhones stolen from Lollapalooza attendees in the Apple Crime Blotter

Tracked iPhone leads to federal gun charge, Apple Pencils stolen from Apple Store, and ex-trooper who texted nudes gets probation.

The latest in an occasional AppleInsider feature, looking at the world of Apple-related crime.

iPhone catches "gang member" on federal gun charge

A reputed gang member in South Carolina has pled guilty to a federal weapons charge, after a stolen iPhone was tracked to him. This led to his arrest on outstanding warrants, and a subsequent search discovered a loaded Ruger .45 caliber handgun, which was also stolen.

Subsequent tests showed that the same gun had been used in at least four different shootings in 2019. According to the Justice Department, the man faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.

Pickpockets once again grab iPhones at Lollapalooza

The return of Chicago's Lollapalooza music festival also meant the return of thefts of iPhones from festival-goers.

According to CBS Chicago, more than 120 phones were recovered after they were stolen over the course of the four-day festival, and six arrests have been made. Several of those arrested have been described as "a crew of professionals from South Florida."

Jessica Bauwens, a TikTok influencer, chronicled the theft, and the process of getting her iPhone back.

Three arrested for stealing Apple Pencils in Connecticut

Three people were arrested at the end of July for stealing more than $1,000 worth of Apple Pencils from the Apple Store in Greenwich, Conn. Patch reports the three people, one of whom was a minor, were caught nearby with the Pencils in their possession.

Ex-Trooper who texted woman's nudes to himself gets probation

Back in the summer of 2020, a Minnesota state trooper was accused of texting himself an intimate photo from a woman's iPhone after he stopped her under suspicion of drunk driving. The ex-trooper later pled guilty to misdemeanor nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images, and was fired.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported in early August that the ex-trooper had been sentenced to two years of probation, and 10 days of community service. He is also "no longer licensed to serve in law enforcement," the newspaper said.

Man uses AirTags to find stolen scooter

Dan Guido, the CEO of New York-based security company Trail of Bits, told a long story on Twitter August 9 about how he found his stolen scooter, using Find My iPhone and AirTags.

He placed two AirTags in the scooter, one of which was a "decoy," and he was also cognizant of attempting to avoid running afoul of Apple's anti-stalking measures.

After discovering that police "weren't familiar with AirTags," Guido left town for a week and discovered upon his return that the AirTags hadn't moved. He later found the scooter at an e-bike store in Brooklyn.

Arrest made in the theft of iPhones from Amazon distribution center in U.K.

A man was arrested on August 4 in connection with the theft of "a large quantity of stock including high-value tech and mobile phone products" from an Amazon center near Manchester in the U.K. The photo published by the Greater Manchester Police showed a large pile of iPhone boxes.

The man has been arrested "on suspicion of theft and money laundering."

Man accused of stealing lost iPhone from convenience store

An Indiana man was arrested after he "decided to keep" an iPhone that was lost at a Sheetz convenience store. According to WCCS, Find My iPhone was used to track the phone to the man's car. He was charged with theft and receiving stolen property.

Ex-employee of Naval base in Guam admits to theft haul that included MacBooks

A man who worked for many years as a clerk at the Navy Exchange (NEX) at the U.S. Naval Base Guam has been sentenced for two years, for a six-figure series of thefts that included Apple products.

Post Guam writes the man "used his access and privileges as a NEX employee" to steal 16 items, including units of the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and iPad Pro. He hid the items, which had a total value of $261,036.96, in a "false wall."

The man, the report said, is also a "level-one sex offender" due to a series of unrelated crimes from the early 1990s.

San Antonio school employee suspected of selling school's iPads

The Texas Education Agency is investigating a school official in the San Antonio area who is suspected of taking school-owned iPads and selling them on Facebook Marketplace.

According to News 4 San Antonio, schools in the area have "thousands" of iPads, laptops and other devices that are missing, following the long period of remote learning.

The Northside Independent School District, per the report, is missing 4,051 Chromebooks, 3,459 iPads, and 6,478 laptops. However, the district says only a small fraction of those are "confirmed lost or stolen," while most are considered "overdue."

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