Tech Admin Steals Gear, Fakes Records

0:00It's April 4th. This is Hartford News Today, AI-powered stories from your city. A 39-year-old former computer systems admin from Meriden, Connecticut, named Peterson Bernadale, faces federal charges for stealing gear from, the local federal public defender's office. A grand jury in New Haven indicted him on March 24th with eight counts of theft and one for faking records. In his role, Bernadale had easy access to laptops, tablets, phones, and other tech in the office inventory. He could also tweak the digital logs tracking all that equipment. Prosecutors claim he grabbed items like iPads, Apple and Dell computers, a Mavic drone, and a Canon camera, then sold them for cash at pawn shops. To hide one stolen Apple laptop he pawned, he allegedly doctored the records. He got arrested on April 1st and is out on a $50,000 bond. Each death count carries up to 10 years in prison, while the falsifying charge tops out at five years. Homeland Security's federal protective service led the probe, shining a light on insider

1:04threats to government assets. This one's unfolding in court, so stay tuned for updates.