Crime blotter: Stolen iPhone leads to discovery of foil-wrapped phones

In the latest Apple Crime Blotter, two men went on an Apple Store spree with a stolen wallet, pop star Bebe Rexha was hit with a phone, and iPhone searches may have made the case against a murderer while causing one against an ex-CIA officer to fall apart.

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

Stolen iPhone leads to foil-wrapped phones in Jeep

A man has been arrested in Tennessee after a woman tracked her stolen iPhone to the man's Jeep, which contained nearly 20 other phones wrapped in aluminum foil.

According to WSVN, the arrested man was a 54-year-old from Miami who is "suspected of being part of an organized cell phone theft operation." The man, who was caught on surveillance cameras, has been charged with two counts of felony theft and one count of misdemeanor theft.

One of them, the outlet said, was stolen from a customer at Kid Rock's bar in Nashville.

Two men wanted for stealing a wallet and going on Apple Store spree

The Lancaster City Bureau of Police in Pennsylvania is looking for two men who they say robbed a woman of her wallet, and subsequently used her credit cards for a $7,000 spree at the Apple Store in Park City, also in Lancaster.

CrimeWatch PA on April 21 wrote the two men took the wallet at a HomeGoods store at Red Rose Commons, and headed to the Apple Store about two miles away.

Bebe Rexha hit by phone during New York concert

The pop singer Bebe Rexha was hit in the face with a smartphone that was thrown at her during a performance in New York City on June 18. Per NBC News, a 27-year-old New Jersey man threw the phone, and has been arrested.

The man reportedly told police that he threw the device because he thought "it would be funny."

It's not clear whether the phone that hit Rexha was an iPhone or another model, and that's actually been a subject of some consternation in some online spaces. The New York Police Department did not reply to a request for comment from AppleInsider.

Rexha did participate in a 2021 edition of Apple's Time to Walk audio series, and she happens to have a song called "Apple."

Case against CIA officer accused of abuse may fall apart due to botched execution of a warrant for iPhone seizures

A former CIA officer who has been accused of abusing several women who were incapacitated was jailed for three years, and had even agreed to plead guilty at one point. But the case against him may collapse, due to what's described as the botched execution of a warrant to seize his iPhones.

According to NBC News, the case hinges on nearly 600 photos that show the defendant "allegedly abusing incapacitated women," both in the U.S. and abroad. However, the man's lawyers now say there were problems with how the search was conducted, including by compelling the man to hand over his passcode.

The case, according to NBC, "could make new law on the question of what constitutes an improper search in the digital age."

iPhone searches used against author accused of killing her husband

A Utah woman who wrote a book about grief following the March 2022 death of her husband — only to get arrested in May for his murder — used her iPhone to perform some incriminating searches, authorities say.

NBC News reports prosecutors have asked a court to deny bail to Kouri Richins, who is accused of murdering her husband Eric Richins in 2022.

Among the incriminating searches, prosecutors say, are "death certificate says pending, will life insurance still pay?"; "luxury prisons for the rich in america" and "how to.permanently delete information from an iphone remotely."

The iPhone with the incriminating searches was found in her home on the day of her arrest, and prosecutors say it "indicates a consciousness of guilt and plan to hide evidence."

Fireman accused of stealing credit cards from dead man, buying AirPods

A New York City firefighter is accused of stealing credit cards from a dead man while on an EMS call in 2021, and using his credit cards for a variety of purchases the following morning.

According to The New York Post, the fireman bought AirPods during a trip to Target, while also buying or attempting to buy various other items at several different stores. He's been charged with grand larceny, attempted identity theft, criminal impersonation, and official misconduct.

iPhone used as evidence against a teenager who plotted synagogue attack

A 19-year-old from Michigan has been arrested on charges that he planned to attack a synagogue.

Per The Hill, after Instagram messages first made law enforcement aware of the plot, they searched his home, where they found "a shotgun, rifle, pistol, ammunition, rifle magazines, multiple knives, and other instruments, firearm accessories, two tactical vests, a red-and-white Nazi flag, gas masks, and survivor manuals."

A search of the man's iPhone later uncovered a plan to attack a specific synagogue in Michigan in March of 2024, on the anniversary of Brenton Tarrant's mass shooting in New Zealand in 2019. Some of the man's social media posts had expressed admiration for Tarrant.

Stolen iPad leads to busting of New Jersey burglary ring

Police in New Jersey busted a local burglary ring after following the ping from a man's stolen iPad to a motel. The Daily Voice explains the ping led to the arrest of a man who was seen on surveillance video burglarizing several cars.

When police found the man responsible, he was carrying the iPad, as well as "other proceeds," a knife, and "a small amount of drugs," the report said.

Two high school girls arrested for stealing iPhones from a closed mall in Thailand

Two female high school students in Thailand were arrested on June 20, after authorities say they broke into a cell phone store in a closed shopping mall, after hours, and stole two iPhones.

According to The Thaiger, the two stole an iPhone 11 and a second-hand iPhone 7. The two girls, per the report, entered the mall before it closed, hid for some time, and then entered the store after staff and customers left.

They were caught after the owner of the store posted pictures to Facebook.

Member of Kenya's Parliament says iPhone was stolen during "scuffle"

A woman who is a sitting member of Parliament in Kenya says her iPhone 14 was stolen during a scuffle in Parliament on June 8. The brawl led to the suspension of several lawmakers.

K 24 TV reports Deputy Minority Whip Sabina Chege has appealed to Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua to intervene in order to recover the device.