(Stillwater, Okla.) — A Stillwater man has been accused of embezzling more than $23,000 worth of cell phones and electronic notebooks from the T-Mobile store in Stillwater while he was employed there last year.
Many of the cell phones were listed on Craigslist for sale, Stillwater Police Detective Sgt. Jeff Watts alleged in an affidavit filed with the charge.
Justin Dean Brown, 25, was arrested last week, arraigned and released on $10,000 bond pending an April 7 court appearance when he can seek a preliminary hearing.
When store manager J. Lang conducted an audit including September through December 2013, “he learned the business was missing 38 electronic devices which included cell phones and electronic notebooks,” worth $23,323.51, the affidavit said.
“J. stated after learning of the possible theft of cell phones by Justin, he checked Craigslist to see if any of the missing phones were listed for sale.
“J. stated many of the phones which were the same type of phones stolen from the store were listed on Craigslist for sale,” the affidavit alleged.
An employee of T-Mobile “looked at some of the photos and told J. he recognized the furniture in the background of the photos as being furniture from Justin’s living room and his dining room,” the affidavit alleged.
Loss prevention manager Rickey Staggs noted “in reviewing Justin’s cell phone records, he learned Justin had several T-Mobile phones associated with his account which had not been paid for. These are some of the same phones that were missing during the audit,” the affidavit alleged.
“Mr. Staggs called Justin and told him his position with the company and stated he wanted to speak with Justin,” who had called in sick on Dec. 5, 2013, the affidavit said.
“Justin told him he would meet with him, but he did not want to go to jail,” the affidavit alleged. They met at a Stillwater coffee shop, the affidavit said.
“During their interview with Justin, he (Justin) admitted that he had been taking cell phones from the business and not paying for them. Justin also admitted to taking four Galaxy notebooks,” the affidavit alleged.
Brown later called and asked to meet Staggs again — which occurred in a motel parking lot, the affidavit said.
“Justin told Mr. Staggs he didn’t know how many phones he had taken from the business, but believed he had probably taken all of the missing phones,” the affidavit alleged.
Staggs found store video showing Brown bringing an apparently empty duffel bag into the T-Mobile store on Nov. 11, 2013, that was taken into the break room out of the view of the cameras, the affidavit said.
“A few minutes later, Justin leaves the store with the duffel bag which appears to be full and bulging,” the affidavit alleged.
On Jan. 7 at about 3 p.m. the detective sergeant met with Brown in the Stillwater police department lobby, the affidavit said.
“During my conversation with Justin, he admitted he was employed at T-Mobile since January 2013. He stated during the month of November, he began taking phones from the business without paying for them,” Watts alleged in his affidavit.
“Justin stated he was selling the phones on Craigslist and using the money to buy Christmas presents. Justin had in his possession four of the stolen cell phones and he turned them over to me,” Watts alleged in his affidavit.
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