A Canadian constable pleads guilty to stealing an iPhone and an iPad, AirTag stalking is now illegal in Florida, and an iPhone activation leads to arrests in this week's Apple Crime Blotter.

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

Pastor has iPhone stolen while delivering sermon

A pastor delivering a live-streamed sermon while walking down a London street had his iPhone 16 Pro Max stolen by two cyclists, mid-broadcast.

According to The Daily Mail, Apostle Isaac Anderson was 17 minutes into the sermon when the thieves approached him and took the phone, which continued to stream the broadcast.

"'Hey JP, he's on TikTok. He's on TikTok live bro... No fam. How do I end it? It's on Facebook,'" one of the thieves could be heard saying.

The newspaper reported that more than 70,000 were stolen on the streets of London in 2024. The Mail did not report whether arrests have been made in Anderson's case.

Police officer pleads guilty to stealing iPhone, iPad from evidence

A policeman in Winnipeg has pled guilty to charges that he stole both an iPad and an iPhone from the evidence control unit in which he worked.

CBC reports the constable was first accused of taking an iPad that had been recovered in a robbery and then went missing. Later, a stolen iPhone was also found in his possession.

The man had been placed on administrative leave at the time of his arrest.

FedEx courier admits he stole iPhones

A Virginia man working as a FedEx carrier admitted that he stole nine packages with each containing iPhone 17 units from a distribution center, with the intention of selling them on Facebook Marketplace.

According to Leesburg News, an officer was called to the facility when there were complaints that the iPhones were missing. He later looked at surveillance footage and saw the man taking them to his assigned truck.

Arrested on a charge of grand theft (property value $10k-$20k), the man claimed he was struggling financially.

Woman's stolen wallet leads to attempt to use cards at Apple Store

Shortly after a woman's wallet was stolen on September 29, she received fraud alerts that someone was attempting to use her stolen credit and debit cards to make a $1,400 Apple Store purchase.

Police say there are no suspects, according to Princeton Patch.

AirTag helps to recover stolen motorcycle

A motorcycle stolen from a man in Leicestershire in the U.K. was tracked, via an AirTag, to the bedroom of the accused thief.

Per Leicester Mercury, the AirTag had been placed under the 6,000-pound (about $8,000) bike's seat. The accused thief went on to plead guilty to the theft.

"He made the stupid decision to steal the bike. It was out of character," the man's attorney said.

Florida's new AirTag law is in effect

Speaking of AirTags, a new state law in Florida regulating the illicit use of AirTags and other similar devices went into effect on October 1.

According to WUFT, the new law, signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, "carries a punishment of up to 15 years in prison. That is for anyone convicted of using the trackers to commit crimes, including murder, aggravated assault, kidnapping, rape, robbery or other serious offenses."

Florida has seen more than 100 cases of stalking with tracking devices so far in 2025, the report said.

South Carolina officer arrested for falsely reporting iPhone stolen

A police officer in Mullins, S.C., has been charged with a crime, after he allegedly sold his city-issued iPhone to a kiosk, and then falsely reported it stolen.

WLTX reports the officer was charged in mid-August with embezzlement of public funds of less than $10,000 and misconduct in office.

iPhone activation leads to arrests of accused iPhone thieves

Three suspects who police say broke into a California business in August and stole electronics have been caught, after an iPhone and tablet stolen in the break-in were activated.

Per Daily Bulletin, the activation tipped off the owner of the business, who called police and alerted them of the locations of the activations. They followed the signals and arrested the suspects, although one suspect, in a panic, swallowed fentanyl as officers approached.

Truck driver arrested for stealing iPhones in India

A truck driver was arrested on September 26, for stealing a shipment of iPhones that was headed to Dubai, from the cargo area at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in India.

According to Indian outlet The Week, the man stole three iPhones from the shipment of 148 devices, and offered one of the iPhones to a taxi driver after he failed to pay him.