NEW JERSEY EX-EMPLOYEE ADMITS THEFT OF COMPUTERS FROM SCHOOLS Ex-employee admits theft of computers from Willingboro schools

Ex-employee admits theft of computers from Willingboro schools

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

By CAROL COMEGNO
Courier-Post Staff

MOUNT HOLLY

A fired school employee pleaded guilty Monday to stealing eight laptop computers and selling them to other school workers.

Mark Burrell, 42, of Camden, entered his plea in Superior Court as part of an agreement with the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office to avert a trial.

He will be sentenced to probation Feb. 1 if Superior Court Judge John Almeida accepts his plea on the theft charges.

Assistant Prosecutor Patricia Bortner said the plea agreement requires Burrell to reimburse the Willingboro Board of Education for six of the eight laptops he took from its offices. She said each was valued at about $1,500.

He returned two that had not been sold.

Bortner said Burrell sold most of the computers to other school district employees for between $200 and $400 in 2006.

He admitted to Almeida in court Monday that he took the laptops with the intent to sell them.

Bortner said the investigation into the thefts began after some co-workers discovered the laptops missing and reported Burrell to the school administration, which contacted authorities.

Burrell, a computer technician hired by the school district in December 1998, was fired by the district on June 30. He worked at the development center at the Country Club School administration building.

Reach Carol Comegno at (609) 267-9486 or ccomegno@courierpostonline.com