CALIFORNIA STOLEN COMPUTERS RECOVERED Detectives find stolen extra-tough laptops online | stolen, mchenry, police, computers, angeles - News - OCRegister.com: "Sunday, April 5, 2009
Detectives find stolen extra-tough laptops on craigslist
Three people arrested in connection with theft of special law-enforcement equipment.
LAKE FOREST – A posting on craigslist.org proved rewarding for sheriff's detectives, who were able to recover 386 stolen laptops specially designed to be sold to military and police agencies that need rugged computers for use in the field.
The unusual case started March 22, when a company called Getac reported what seemed like a "pretty straight-up commercial burglary," Sgt. Mike McHenry of the Orange County Sheriff's south investigations unit said on Sunday.
Thieves had broken into a warehouse in Lake Forest and taken 400 "ruggedized" laptops and hand-held computing devices meant for government, law enforcement and fire service officers. Each was worth about $3,700, and was protected by an anodized aluminum case.
"These aren't things you can buy at a retail store," McHenry said. "They're shock resistant, water resistant and you can practically jump up and down on them."
Investigators began searching for the computers on craigslist.org and other online classified services. When they found some computers for sale that seemed suspiciously familiar, they contacted the seller and set up a sting.
Detectives bought one laptop for $1,800 from a suspect in Yorba Linda, took it back and identified it as one of the stolen items, McHenry said.
Further investigations led police to another supplier in Escondido, and yet a third supplier in La Mesa.
Finally, police arranged a larger purchase of stolen computers from a suspect in Los Angeles, who led them to two Public Storage lockers in the Glendale area, where police were able to recover most of the stolen laptops, McHenry said.
Altogether, three people were booked on suspicion of possessing stolen property and three search warrants were executed, he said.
Asif Ahamed, 31, and Ronnie Mirza, 27, both of Yorba Linda, are roommates who were booked Friday into the Orange County Jail on suspicion of possessing stolen property. They since have been released.
Angel Mistry, 34, of Los Angeles was booked at Parker Center in Los Angeles by the Los Angeles Police Department, McHenry said, also on suspicion of possessing stolen property.
McHenry said agent Brian Sims was in charge of the main case, and overall probably 12 people with the Sheriff's Department south investigations unit and directed enforcement team worked on it, along with other investigators.
Detectives are still determining if the burglary was an inside job, and whether the people arrested are suspected of being responsible for committing it, or merely suspected of fencing the goods.
"Overall, this was a great opportunity and a great return," McHenry said.
Contact the writer: 714-796-7994 or mfisher@ocregister.com
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