Wednesday August 29, 2001 |

Internet, outside police departments aided in investigation

University officers arrested two students over the summer for their alleged robbery of several thousand dollars' worth of projectors and amplifiers.

Using online auctioneer eBay and outside police departments, UAPD officers were able to track down the stolen audio-visual equipment and arrest the two students allegedly connected to the crime.

The two students, Brett Belvel and Bryan Jacobs, allegedly broke into the Anthropology Building, 1010 E. University Blvd., and the University Teaching Center, 1017 N. Mountain Ave., and stole $4,200 worth of projectors and amplifiers.

Both students were charged with suspicion of burglary in the third degree and theft by control and trespassing in the first degree. All of the charges are felonies.

The University of Arizona Police Department saw one of the stolen projectors being offered on eBay.

"Our biggest help came from looking at eBay. They have the name and numbers for the sellers. It really opened up the investigation," said UAPD Detective Larry Forchione.

UAPD recovered all of the projectors that were being sold, including one that was sold to a Vancouver man.

"A victim in Vancouver paid for it and sent the money in good faith," Forchione said. "Six months later, Vancouver police confiscated it."

The arrests were the result of a combined effort between Vancouver police, eBay investigators and the UAPD.

"It took a lot of manpower to get them. There were a dozen reports made over a lengthy period of time," Forchione said.

Over the last two years, there has been an increase in the amount of campus teaching equipment stolen.

"It has been a problem over the last few years. Students have suffered because equipment used to teach them has been stolen," said Ron Landis, multimedia instructional support technical supervisor at the University Teaching Center.

Most of the equipment has been reported as stolen from Landis' office.

"There have been at least a dozen projectors stolen throughout the campus, some of which have been through the UTC, and the majority of them through Ron Landis," Forchione said.

The case against the two students has been open since the beginning of May and is now at the County Attorney's office. It is still possible for the county attorney to request that UAPD conduct further investigations.

"At this point, the case is probably being settled between the defense attorneys and the county attorney. If there is no plea agreement reached, it will go to trial," Forchione said.

The projectors have been photographed and remain in the UAPD evidence room. University police intend to return the stolen goods to the proper owners once the case has been settled.