LOUISIANA COMPUTER THEFT ARRESTS MADE2theadvocate.com | News | Computer theft arrests made: "Computer theft arrests made

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: Dec 4, 2006
Story updated: 3 p.m.

A Louisiana State Police employee and 11 others have been arrested in connection with the theft of 256 computers purchased by federal authorities after Hurricane Katrina to replace storm-damaged computers at government buildings, hospitals and other facilities.

Only 43 of the stolen Dell computers, valued at about $900 each, had been recovered as of Monday morning, police said.

“It’s an embarrassment and breach of trust,” state police Lt. Lawrence McLeary said in describing the arrest of employee Japonica Thompson, 32, of Port Allen woman worked in a computer-related position. She was hired in September 1998, records show.

McLeary said Thompson worked with a trustee assigned to the storage area at the state police compound to sneak computers out of the facility.

“Some she was selling out of her house, some she was giving away as gifts to family,” McLeary said. “She had some of the relatives of the trustee come down from Shreveport and they were acting as a distribution network for her and selling them up in that area.”