A Texas man is being held in a correctional facility in Pennsylvania after the alleged theft of a number of cell phones and pagers. Police arrested the man for the property crimes on Thanksgiving Day. His bail has been set at $25,000.
The 26-year-old man had reportedly arrived on a flight into Pennsylvania late on Nov. 23. He was on his way to an Econo Lodge, where he intended to stay while he worked for a gas company in the area. However, police claim that, as the man waited at the airport, he allegedly stole seven cell phones and 11 pagers from the offices of a local taxi company.
Authorities claim the total value of the allegedly stolen property was $2,500. They also say that surveillance footage showed the man committing the crimes. However, it is important to keep in mind that figures regarding the value of property are frequently inflated. In this case, if the value figure was correct, then that would mean the average value of each cell phone and pager was almost $139.
The man is up against felony charges of burglary, theft and receiving stolen property.
As he fights against the property crimes with which he has been charged, this Texas man would likely benefit from legal counsel. The state will no doubt prosecute his case forcefully, but effective legal assistance may yet be able to determine mitigating circumstances that result in a reduction of charges.
Source: centredaily.com, “Man accused of stealing cell phones at airport,” Nov. 26, 2011