Crime blotter: Influencer who filmed Philadelphia Apple Store looting headed to trial

In the latest Apple Crime Blotter, an indicted Google engineer used Apple products to avoid suspicion, a school official is indicted for stealing iPads, and Find My helps arrest an AirPods thief.

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

Influencer who filmed outside Apple Store looting in Philadelphia headed for trial

A social media influencer who appeared in a self-filmed viral video during a spell of looting outside the Apple Store in Philadelphia in September will stand trial on burglary charges.

The 22-year-old woman, who uses the social handle "Meatball," has been held for court on charges that include burglary, conspiracy, and criminal trespass, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Her video included footage of people stealing from the Apple Store and slamming iPhones to the ground once they realized the items were bricked.

The looting took place after the announcement that charges were being dismissed in an officer-involved shooting. More than 60 people were arrested in city-wide looting, although it's unclear how many stole from the Apple Store.

Indicted Google engineer used Apple Notes to evade detection, prosecutors say

A who worked as a software engineer for Google was indicted on federal charges in early March, accusing him of working to pilfer AI-related technology working for tech giant on behalf of a pair of companies in China.

While the man, Linwei Ding, may have worked for Google, he used Apple products while committing his alleged crimes.

"Allegedly copied data from Google source files into the Apple Notes application on his Google-issued MacBook laptop," the Justice Department said in their indictment announcement. "By then converting the Apple Notes into PDF files and uploading them from the Google network into a separate account, Ding allegedly evaded detection by Google's data loss prevention systems."

Former school tech official indicted for selling iPads

The former chief of technology and innovation for a school district in Texas has been indicted for selling iPads and computers that belonged to the district.

News 4 San Antonio, which first broke the story of the accusations, reports man has been charged with theft by a public servant and theft of property.

The alleged crime first came to light when a viewer of the TV station purchased iPads from Facebook Marketplace. When the buyer grew suspicious, she Googled his name, realized he worked for the school district, and had personally pushed the district to purchase hundreds of laptops, iPads, and Verizon hot spots during the pandemic.

Find My iPhone leads to arrest of man accused of stealing AirPods

Following a series of car break-ins around York University in Nebraska, a 30-year-old man was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance, theft, and tampering with evidence.

According to 1011 Now, among the stolen items was a pair of AirPods, which their owner tracked. Acting on a warrant, police arrested the man at his home.

iPad delivered to family's home as part of scam

Also, in Nebraska, a family in early March got a bad surprise when scammers stole the wife's identity and had an iPad Pro delivered to their house.

WOWT explains the thieves opened an AT&T account and had the iPad delivered to their home. Then, a stranger arrived, looking for the iPad, and was captured on the family's doorbell camera.

Teen charged with stealing iPhone during Facebook Marketplace sale

A teenager in Pittsburgh has been charged after he was accused of stealing an iPhone after arranging to buy it on Facebook Marketplace.

According to WPXI, the suspect said the theft needed to occur near his home because he had an ankle monitor and could not travel. Per the report, the thief stated, "You're going to have to take a loss here," before lifting his jacket to expose a gun.

The accused has been charged with robbery and possession of a firearm by a minor.

Drunk thief in India accused of trying to trade stolen iPhone for food

In a viral thread on X (formerly Twitter), a social media user claimed that a drunk man in Goa, India, pickpocketed her iPhone and soon tried to trade it for bhaji pao, a popular dish in the region.

Per the tweet, the food shop owner refused, kept the iPhone, charged it, and ultimately returned it to the owner.