TENNESSEE COMPUTER STOLEN http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/News/article.php?ID=86695

New Carter jail cameras capture computer theft

By John Thompson
Elizabethton Bureau Chief
jthompson@johnsoncitypress.com

ELIZABETHTON — The new jail in Carter County is not even open yet but the surveillance cameras installed in the facility have already helped solve a crime.

Marc D. Khanani, 37, 209 W. Fairview Ave., Johnson City, was arrested by Capt. Mike Merritt of the Elizabethton Police Department on Tuesday following a review of the images captured by some of the cameras. Merritt said Khanani had worked on the site as a temporary employee of Blaine Construction Co., the general contractor on the project.

Merritt said the investigation began when Michael Hopkins and Louie Eleas of Secure Technology Inc. reported they had discovered a Hewlett-Packard Compaq 8000 Elite ultra slim personal computer was missing from the construction site on Tuesday.

Security Technology was in the process of installing computer equipment to be used in conjunction with the security cameras. When he discovered the computer was missing, Eleas used the surveillance video to determine what happened.

Merritt reported the cameras displayed images of Khanani taking the computer, concealing it and then leaving the area.

Merritt said the Security Technology personnel confronted Khanani about the theft and had him secured. Merritt questioned Khanani about the computer and reported that he admitted to concealing the camera on Friday, taking it to his vehicle and then to his residence in Johnson City.

Merritt obtained permission to search Khanani’s apartment, where he found the missing computer.

“This was a pretty easy case for me,” Merritt said. “The people from Security Technology had already secured him and isolated him when I arrived.” He said the images from the surveillance cameras were “clear and helpful.”