Published: December 31, 2008 08:17 am         

Third arrest expected in technology theft

An investigation into the theft of technological equipment from Alvarado ISD is ongoing and one more arrest is expected, said Lt. Mike Gaudet of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office on Monday.

Alvarado police arrested Nathaniel Troy Lewis, 19, of Alvarado on Dec. 4 and Michael Shane Burrows, 18, of Alvarado on Dec. 11 in connection to the crime.

More than $86,000 in computers, flat-screen TVs, video cameras, microchips, iPods and virtual learning equipment were stolen from AISD in two burglary incidents, one on Nov. 26 and the other some time between Nov. 29 and Dec. 1.

“There will be three arrests made when this is all over,” Gaudet said. “I don’t believe, at this point, we have a warrant on the other individual. I think we’re waiting to obtain a little more information on the suspect other than the testimonies of the other [suspects].”

Gaudet said it has taken one of his detectives three or four days to type in the stolen property for court record.

“There were 114 different items stolen, but it’s probably double that in actual physical property,” Gaudet said.

For example, he said the 18 iPod chargers stolen from the tech center are listed as one item for court documents. The 18 stolen CD-ROMs are also listed as one item, he said.

“We even recovered stuff they didn’t even list as stolen,” he said.

Gaudet said he could not provide how or where the items were recovered because the case remains open.

Kyle Berger, executive director of technology for AISD, said he is thankful Johnson County Sheriff’s deputies were able to recover about $30,000 in equipment at one location a few weeks ago. Before that, he said, Alvarado officers recovered about $5,000 in equipment.

“We were very excited officials recovered such a large amount at one time,” he said.

About $45,000 to $50,000 worth of equipment is still missing, and AISD is opening a new school Jan. 5, Berger said. He said he is hoping most items will be recovered before that date.

“We will be in a crunch again when school starts,” he said. “We will have to change some of our lesson plans to accommodate students without all the equipment.”

Lewis was released Dec. 5 from the Johnson County Corrections Center on a $20,000 bond. Burrows was released Dec. 11 from the same facility on a $5,000 bond. Both are charged with burglary of a building.

     

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