Kariem Hassan McFarlin will make his first appearance in criminal court on Monday, Aug. 20, 2012. Our reporters will be there.
Inmate Details for Kariem Mcfarlin
Police booked McFarlin on August 2, 2012. Investigators used WiFi to trace a 64GB Apple iPad with one Steve Jobs-linked iTunes account to a home in Alameda, CA. It soon traced others. In a piece, How Police Tracked Down Steve Jobs’ Stolen iPads, IDG news service reporters explained how law enforcement officials say the arrest worked. An excerpt:
Over a five-day period, Apple investigators recorded activity on McFarlin’s iTunes account linked to the iPad that originally connected to restore its operating system, a second iPad stolen from the Jobs’ home and an iMac computer that was also missing, according to police. One of the iPads later connected from a Comcast Internet connection in Alameda using a different iTunes account. Investigators say they searched McFarlin’s Facebook page and discovered their suspect and the owner of this new iTunes account were friends.
Before investigators made their move there was one final check that had to be made. They traveled to the Alameda address where McFarlin lived and swept the immediate area for Wi-Fi signals. Police wanted to determine whether there was an open Wi-Fi network that perhaps was being used without the owners’ permission. If the AT&T Internet address was tied to an unsecured connection, it could complicate the case because anyone could have used it. Finding only secured Wi-Fi signals, investigators could argue it was being used by the person paying the bill or those with permission.
On August 2 police entered McFarlin’s apartment and discovered one of the stolen iMac computers on his kitchen table, according to the police report. The other iPads were recovered from people associated with McFarlin, the police say. To get rid of stolen jewelry, McFarlin told police, he had Googled selling jewelry and found a dealer in Pennsylvania. Police say they found email messages in McFarlin’s phone indicating the sale and were able to recover the stolen jewelry by contacting the broker.
In a subsequent interview with McFarlin, police say he admitted breaking into the home by climbing over the builders’ scaffolding and finding a spare key for the house in the garage. He said he stole two iMacs, three iPads, three iPods, one Apple TV, a diamond necklace and earrings, and several other items. In explaining his actions, investigators say McFarlin said he had money problems and had taken to breaking into houses. He wrote a single page letter of apology admitting he had burglarized Steve Jobs’ house and stolen property, but had done so because he was desperate.
McFarlin allegedly gave one 64GB Apple iPad model to a high school friend, a San Francisco Bay Area clown-for-hire best known as Kenny the Clown — his real name is Kenneth Kahn– who says he unknowingly used a Jobs personal iPad for a few days after his friend, McFarlin, gave it to him.
To The San Jose Mercury News, Kahn (Kenny the Clown) said:
“I didn’t notice anything special or anything like that … (McFarlin) is a nice guy who made a horrible … decision … I wish I could ask him: ‘What are you thinking?’
This clown for hire, fast gaining local celebrity status here in Silicon Valley, is kind of an absurdist keystone in this unfolding case. Here he is, playing The Rolling Stones’ “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and juggling fire sticks.
