Guard charged with computer thefts www.privateofficer.com
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A former security guard at a Johnstown business is accused of stealing nearly $50,000 in company computers.
And as police closed in, authorities said, he took 80 of the computers into a wooded area and set them on fire.
Nathan Patrick Binnie, 26, of Iolite Avenue, Johnstown, was charged by city detectives with burglary, arson, criminal trespass, receiving stolen property, tampering with evidence and conspiracy.
In an affidavit of probable cause, police said that 94 computers – towers, monitors, keyboards and a mouse for each – were stolen from a storage facility of Intermedia Marketing, 1003 Broad St.
Binnie was a security guard and quit after it was discovered the equipment was missing, police said.
Witnesses told police they saw a blue van in the area during the week in January when the equipment was stolen. That led police to question Binnie, who drove a blue Dodge Caravan.
At least two people said Binnie stashed some of the computers at their homes, police said.
Binnie later admitted taking the equipment, authorities said.
After news of the incident got out, he took about 80 of the machines into a wooded area behind St. Therese Roman Catholic Church on Decker Avenue and set them on fire, authorities said.
Binnie was arraigned Monday by District Judge Max Pavlovich of Richland Township, the on-call magistrate, and sent to the Cambria County Prison after failing to post $50,000 bond
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