PENNSYLVANIA UPDATE ON COMPUTERS STOLEN FROM SCHOOLSome stolen gear sold - PittsburghLIVE.comPolice say suspects already sold some stolen computer gear

By Paul Peirce
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, August 18, 2005

Two teenagers implicated in the heist of $40,000 worth of computer and electronics equipment from Greensburg Central Catholic High School earlier this month were already selling off their pilfered loot, according to state police.

Lt. James Fulmer, head of the state police crime unit for Troop A at Greensburg, also confirmed that one of the suspects, an 18-year-old, is a former student at the Catholic high school located off Thomas School and Armory roads in Hempfield Township. Police declined to release his identity because he has yet to be charged.

The other person implicated in the burglary is under 18 and likely will be prosecuted in juvenile court, according to Fulmer.

"I can't say enough about the excellent police work here that enabled us to quickly track down and recover most of the equipment that was stolen," Fulmer said.


Fulmer said police are still investigating whether more that two people took part in the burglary.

Police reported that someone entered the high school Aug. 6 by breaking a window and made off with 16 Dell laptop computers valued at $32,000, some 24 Dell flat-screen monitors valued at $3,000; a multi-use projector valued at $5,000; a Sony 32-inch television valued at $625 and four Motorola radios and chargers valued at $200.

On Monday, police said interviews led them to a storage area within an Irwin apartment complex where they recovered most of the stolen items. Twelve of the laptop computers were recovered, as well as 17 monitors, the projector, the television and a videocassette recorder.

"We're still in the process of tracking down the items that were already sold. These individuals involved here had no business or enterprise where they would have used the stolen equipment themselves, and based on the fact some of the items were already sold, we believe that they were planning to eventually sell all of it," Fulmer said.

Fulmer specifically lauded Trooper Ray Andrekanic, the lead investigator in the case.

Fulmer said investigators do not believe the school theft is related to the burglary and theft of about $4,000 worth of computer equipment, including four, flat-screen monitors and two computer servers, from Universal Billing Systems at 593 Rugh St., also in Hempfield, sometime Saturday.

Paul Peirce can be reached at ppeirce@tribweb.com or (724) 850-2860.