On Tuesday a senior who goes by the name of “Phil” was arrested for criminal possession of stolen property and is now facing felony charges. “The arrest was the result of a joint investigation between the Public Safety Investigations Unit and the Troy Police Detective Unit,” said Lieutenant Joseph Audino from the Department of Public Safety.
Students close to Phil said he lives in a single room in Roebling Hall. “He was very quiet and we did not see him much,” said one of his neighbors, who wanted to remain anonymous.
According to eyewitnesses, the Dean of Students and representatives of the Department of Public Safety were waiting for Phil as he arrived at his room, and criminal lab technicians removed some items from the room. Included were LCD screens and a computer that were stolen from various places campus.
Further investigation has led to additional charges of burglary and grand larceny “stemming from thefts from the CII over a period of time,” said Audino.
“He will face criminal charges and judicial action will be taken against him,” said Dean of Students Mark Smith.
As of last week, Smith does not know if Phil has been the perpetrator of all the computer thefts on campus. Reports and serial numbers for the stolen items have yet to be collected and matched, while Phil is still being held by the Troy Police.
If convicted, Phil might be expelled only days before his graduation. “He wrecked his life for nothing,” said classmate Jeffrey Gordon, CSCI ’02.
Many students were shocked at the risk that Phil has obviously taken. “The price of seven or 10 LCDs is nothing compared to four years in school,” said Shannon Georges, CSCI ’02.
Although more details about the arrest were not available, Audino described it as an operation that demonstrated “the assistance and cooperation of others within the Rensselaer community.”
