Late last week, former NBA player Rex Chapman was arrested by police in Scottsdale, Arizona, after being charged with theft and trafficking in stolen property as a result of stealing over $14,000 worth of equipment from his local Apple Store over the course of nine visits between May and early August.
As can be seen from the below security footage, Chapman picked up various items from the store, pretended to pay for them using Apple’s EasyPay app, before popping the goods into an Apple carrier bag, at which point he headed off to a local pawnshop to sell them:
Chapman is facing charges of 14 felonies. Below is a video of his first court appearance. He was released on a $14,000 bond Saturday, which he paid, and is due back in court on Friday.
While it’s good that Chapman was caught, it’s a pretty tragic sight to see a former star sportsman reduced to shoplifting. Over a 12-year career that included stints with the Charlotte Hornets, Washington Bullets, Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns, Chapman earned more than $22 million.
Source: Engadget
Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.
2 responses to “Video shows former NBA player’s Apple Store thefts and court appearance”
He was also an executive with Phoenix after he retired. This isn’t about money
Friend Doug Gottlieb’s?