SALT LAKE CITY $500,000 COMPUTER BURGLARY RING BROKEN KSL News: Alleged Burglary Ring Under Arrest TonightAlleged Burglary Ring Under Arrest Tonight
Feb. 12, 2004

Salt Lake County Detectives, have pulled the plug on a burglary ring that swiped more than a half- million dollars worth of computer equipment.

Jed Boal tells us small businesses, which thought they'd never see their property again, are thrilled to get it back.

Computers like these run small businesses around the globe.

The've become more common targets for criminals, and when they're stolen, it can cripple a business.

Sheriff's Investigators say this man...Lawrence Justice Jonas...and at last three other people ran quite a burglary ring from this small office in a South Salt Lake business plaza and two other locations they raided.

Police say Jonas, Willaim Robert Johnson, Holly Hamilton-Mask and another suspect stole computers from small businesses on the east side of the valley.

Lt. Robbie Russo/Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office: "SMALL BUSINESSES WHO ARE COMPUTER BASED...TAKING ALL OF THEIR INFORMATION...NOT ONLY THE VALUE OF THE PROPERTY BUT THE INFORMATION AND COULD PUT SOME OF THEM OUT OF BUSINESS."

Investigators think the burglars broke down the computers and resold them for drug money and profit...

Business owners in the this plaza think he robbed four businesses there.

Russ Nelson/Burglary Victim: "EVERYTHING WAS JUST CLEANED OUT...OUT LITTLE SAFE WAS BROKEN INTO...CELLPHONES"

Some stolen property just turned up.

"Burke Hills/Burglary Victim: SO WE KNOW IT'S THE SAME GUY THAT BROKE IN HERE...HE WAS JUST LIVING DOWNSTAIRS."

"Jed Boal/Eyewitness News: IT APPEARS, NOT ONLY WAS HE KNOCKING OFF HIS NEIGHBORS, BUT HE WAS ALSO VERY IUNTERESTED IN WHO WAS COMING AND GOING, HE HAD A COUNTERSURVEILLANCE CAMERA RIGHT THERE."

"THEN HE HAD HIS DOOR FORTIFIED, AND IT TOOK THE OFFICERS 14 HITS WITH THE RAM TO GET THROUGH THE BARRICADE AND GET TO THE SUBJECT"

One internet company was amazed to recover much of their half-million dollars in stolen property.

"Ken Bowman/Networld Connections: THEY CAME IN AND BYPASSED OUR ALARM SYSTEMS SO THEY HAD TO KNOW WHAT THEY WERE DOING."

Investigators still want to find out whether the suspect pulled information from the computers for identity theft...

Right now they face burglary charges...but, there will be more charges as the investigation continues.