MISSOURI COMPUTERS STOLEN FROM SCHOOLPoplar Bluff, Daily American Republic: News Column
Ongoing probe nets more missing school property: Smock posts $20,000 bond

By MANDY PHILLIPS ~ Staff Writer
DONIPHAN -- The two felony stealing charges filed yesterday against Doniphan's vocational school director may only be the beginning after searches produced more property that allegedly belongs to the school district.

Mike Smock, director of the Current River Area Vocational Technical School, was charged Thursday with two Class C felony counts of stealing for allegedly taking computer equipment that belonged to the Doniphan R-1 School District and selling it to individuals.

Smock was released Thursday after posting $20,000 bond shortly after being charged.

Although officials would not comment on whether additional charges would be brought, the probable cause affidavit said search warrants that were executed Wednesday at Smock's home and at a rented storage unit yielded additional property owned by the school. The serial numbers from the equipment allegedly confirmed that the property belonged to the school district.

The affidavit cited "numerous computer parts and components" present that were reportedly sold by a Malden business supply company to Doniphan R-1 Schools.

Ripley County Prosecuting Attorney Steven Lynxwiler would not say whether more charges would be filed regarding the property recovered at Smock's home and storage unit, but said the investigation is ongoing.

"It is a lengthy investigation involving the Missouri State Highway Patrol's Division of Drug and Crime Control, the Ripley County Sheriff's Department and the Doniphan city police," Lynxwiler said. "The investigation is going to continue."

A six-person team from the highway patrol's drug and crime division is in Doniphan to lead the investigation. On Thursday, a U-Haul truck was parked alongside law enforcement vehicles at Smock's Doniphan home.

The two felony stealing charges that Smock, 58, currently faces stem from computer sales the reportedly took place earlier this year.

According to the affidavit, Smock allegedly sold a computer to a Doniphan area business for $699 during the last week of October. The following week, another computer was sold for $499 plus the trade-in of another computer.

"The serial numbers from both computer systems were compared to an inventory list of the Doniphan Public Schools determining the computer systems were property of the Doniphan Public School System, which had been stolen," the affidavit said.

On July 28, 2004, Smock sold another computer to an individual for $1,004.79. A run of the serial numbers on that system showed it was also the property of the school district.

Lynxwiler has said he will likely seek assistance from the state attorney general's office in the case