Charlotte Criminal Lawyer Blog
Attorney J. Bradley Smith answering the question: “The person that called the police doesn’t want to press charges.”
Usually, you’d expect that if someone had $500,000 worth of electronics stolen from them they’d notice pretty quickly, right? However, recent reports issued by the Democratic National Convention Committee and LG Electronics appear to prove that it might take years before a theft of that size could be uncovered.
According to a recent article, it took the DNC more than six months and LG nearly two years to come to grips with the vast array of electronics that went missing following last fall’s convention in Charlotte. The DNC revealed that an estimated $496,000 worth of equipment disappeared after the 2012 convention.
Included among the missing items were a number of Apple laptops, iPads, printers, BlackBerrys and, most notably, television sets. According to the DNC, the group purchased 600 BlackBerrys prior to the convention. Of those, 282 were eventually returned while a whopping 217 failed to turn up.
Beyond the smaller items such as smartphones or iPads that might have accidentally disappeared, LG Electronics, supplier of the television sets used during the event, say that 72 big screen television sets vanished at the end of the convention. The company says that while it noticed the sets had gone missing sometime last year, it assumed that they had only been misplaced. Now, after going through records the company is convinced that the sets were stolen and have asked CMPD to investigate. The televisions ranged in price from $350 to $1,800 and are worth a total of around $75,000.
Experts familiar with hosting such large events say it is quite common for items to go missing given the large number of people who come into contact with many of the goods. Even detailed inventory systems are often not enough to prevent people from walking off with sometimes pricey electronics. Others point out that while some items may in fact be stolen, it is also possible that the goods were simply misplaced or inadvertently taken.
Though it may sound like a stretch to imagine someone accidentally walking off with a plasma TV, it is absolutely possible that some staffers who were assigned smaller equipment did not realize the items needed to be returned. Many of those working on event logistics were given the equipment months before the convention and that kind of lengthy custody can result in confusion.
Arnold & Smith, PLLC is a Charlotte based criminal defense, traffic violation defense and civil litigation law firm servicing Charlotte and the surrounding area. If you or someone you know need legal assistance, please contact Arnold & Smith, PLLC today at (704) 370-2828 or find additional resources here.
About the Author:
Brad Smith is a Managing Member with Arnold & Smith, PLLC where he focuses on the areas of criminal defense, DUI / DWI defense and traffic defense. Mr. Smith began his legal career in Charlotte, North Carolina as an Assistant District Attorney. In 2006, he entered private practice focusing almost entirely on criminal defense.
Born and raised in Charlotte, Mr. Smith is married with his two sons’ and one daughter. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, boating, golf and hiking near his mountain home in western North Carolina.
Source:
“Televisions stolen during 2012 DNC,” published at WCNC.com.
See Our Related Videos From Our YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/ArnoldSmithPLLC?feature=watch
See Our Related Blog Posts:
North Carolina Man Faces Nearly Two Years In Prison After Drunken Moped Driving