Found It, Tried to Sell It: Man Busted for Selling Stolen School iPad on Facebook
A Lakeland man was arrested Friday by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office after an eagle-eyed Polk County School Board (PCSB) employee spotted a PCSB-owned iPad for sale on Facebook Marketplace.
Gerald Lenard Simpson, Jr., 28, of Lakeland, faces charges of Petit Theft, Dealing in Stolen Property, and Unlawful Use of a 2-Way Communication Device.
The incident unfolded when a PCSB employee was browsing Facebook Marketplace and noticed an iPad listed for $100.
Her attention was immediately drawn to the device’s screen, which clearly displayed the Polk County School Board logo, visible in the accompanying photo. Recognizing it as school district property, she promptly contacted the Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO).
Deputies quickly launched an investigation and were able to identify Gerald Simpson, Jr. as the seller of the iPad. While initial attempts to make contact with Simpson proved challenging, deputies persevered. To his credit, Simpson eventually returned a phone call from a deputy and subsequently agreed to meet with law enforcement.
During the meeting, Simpson surrendered the iPad to the deputies. He claimed that he had found the device over a year ago and had held onto it before deciding to sell it.
The iPad, valued at $400, was successfully returned to the Polk County School Board. Simpson was taken into custody and booked into the Polk County Jail.
One has to wonder why this ipad was not set up to ‘phone home’ with an IP address.