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In the latest Apple Crime Blotter, Rudy Giuliani unlocks phones for prosecutors, iCloud evidence catches man who threatened Congresswoman, and multiple iPhone thefts from Walmart.
The latest in an occasional AppleInsider series, looking at the world of Apple-related crime.
Management at a Disney resort in Louisiana caught employees stealing cash and items from hotel rooms at the resort, and used an elaborate sting operation to do it. However, they avoided stealing Apple products that were left in the room.
According to Disney news site WDWNT, the thefts took place in March at the Port Orleans Resort - Riverside resort. Hotel management teamed up with the Orange County Sheriff's office to set up a decoy hotel room where cash, an iPad, and AirPods were left as "bait."
The two employees, known as "Cast Members," were caught stealing cash, but left the Apple products in the room.
Five people taken hostage during the February armed robbery of the Apple Store in Amsterdam have been given the "Hero's Pin" by the city's mayor.
NL Times reports Mayor Femke Halsema honored the man who was held at gunpoint, as well as four others who hid in a closet during the hours-long standoff. The hostage situation had ended when the man held at gunpoint made a run, and when the hostage-taker followed him, he was hit by a car.
Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor and attorney for former President Trump, agreed to unlock several electronic devices for prosecutors, CNN reported April 12. Prosecutors had seized 18 devices from Giuliani when they raided him in April 2021, and are said to be nearing a charging decision.
It's not clear how many of the devices in question are Apple products, but Giuliani had said in a 2021 interview that the search had been illegal because "they got it from the iCloud."
The former mayor's phone habits have made the news other times, such as when he visited an Apple Store in October 2019 to unlock an iPhone after entering incorrect passcodes ten times. The same month, NBC News reported that Giuliani had "butt-dialed" a reporter, causing that journalist to overhear and report a potentially incriminating conversation about money.
A man from Florida pled guilty in April to sending a threatening email to a member of Congress, and he was caught after the email was traced to his iCloud account.
BusinessInsider writes the 67-year-old man had sent threats to Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota in July of 2019, including the phrase "are you ready to die for Islam?" The man's identity was tracked down once Omar's staff reported the message to federal investigators.
The man pled guilty to a single count of threatening a federal official with the intent to intimidate, impede, and retaliate, and faces up to ten years in prison.
Two Pennsylvania men are accused of theft from their former employer, a Walmart distribution center, of $25,000 in iPhones. According to Gant News, the two men have been charged with felony theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property.
The thefts reportedly took place in the fall of 2021. Local stores had noticed that orders of iPhones hadn't been making it to the stores, and a coworker of the two men ultimately told authorities he had seen them taking the items.
In other Walmart iPhone theft news, a Nevada man has admitted that he took 30 iPhones from a Walmart in March of 2021. The Record Courier reports the man was observed on surveillance entering the store, walking into the stockroom, and filling a cardboard box with iPhone 12 units.
The 27-year-old admitted to felony burglary of a business and grand larceny.
More than 100 iPhones were stolen from attendees in a single day at the Ultra Music Festival in Miami in late March. According to NBC Miami, one man who had tracked his own phone found it and 11 others in bushes near a motel.
Large numbers of iPhones have been stolen from music festivals in the past, including at the Firefly Music Festival in Delaware and the Shaky Beats Music Festival in Atlanta, both in 2018.
Police in Washington, D.C., say a group of four perpetrators carried out a crime spree in mid-April in which they came upon multiple people and demanded their money, iPhones, shoes, and dogs.
According to The Washingtonian, two dogs and at least two iPhones were stolen and two people were shot, both non-fatally.
“Prosecutors had seized 18 devices from Giuliani when they raided him in April 2021, and are said to be nearing a charging decision. ” I’d say it’s definitely time to charge those devices. But jokes aside, I have to wonder why Giuliani had 18 devices containing potentially useful data. That’s a lot of devices. I guess that might explain why he famously forgot the passcode for one of them.
Xu Yanjun, an officer in China's Ministry of State Security (MSS), was caught with the help of an iCloud backup of his iPhone.
The iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max, alongside the Apple Watch Series 8 and SE ranges are available to buy in Apple Stores worldwide — and Apple has spotlighted the first customers.
The version of iOS 16 that comes preinstalled on the new iPhone 14 range includes a bug that affects activation, and shows up as problems with Messages and FaceTime.
Apple released the Apple Watch Series 8 alongside an updated Apple Watch SE on September 7. Here's how they compare with one another.
Apple made considerable upgrades to the iPhone 14 Pro while making fewer than usual to the iPhone 14. Here's how the two similar-sized flagship iPhone models differ.
Apple's iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max have arrived. Here's how they stack up versus the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max.
Apple's iPhone 14 is aimed at about the same market that the iPhone SE targets. Here's how it compares to the third-generation iPhone SE.
Apple announced the second generation of AirPods Pro at its "Far Out" event on September 7. Here's how it compares to the first generation.
U.S. antitrust officials ask to be heard in Epic vs. Apple appeal
24 years after original iMac, there's still big demand for floppies
Apple's loaded MacBook Air (M2, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) now $100 off, plus $40 off AppleCare
'Breakup mode' - How to make Photos feature people less often
How to set different backgrounds for each Focus Mode in iOS 16
Deals: get an iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro for free with wireless carrier promos
The best GaN chargers for recharging your iPhone, iPad & Mac
Full video of Steve Jobs panel with Cook, Ive & Powell Jobs is available
Xu Yanjun, an officer in China's Ministry of State Security (MSS), was caught with the help of an iCloud backup of his iPhone.
The iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max, alongside the Apple Watch Series 8 and SE ranges are available to buy in Apple Stores worldwide — and Apple has spotlighted the first customers.
The version of iOS 16 that comes preinstalled on the new iPhone 14 range includes a bug that affects activation, and shows up as problems with Messages and FaceTime.
Chargers using gallium nitride offer high wattages in a compact size. Here are some of the best options on the market to recharge your iPhone 14, iPad, Mac, and other Apple devices.
Following the release of its massive iOS 16 update, Apple has already moving on. Here's what we've found hiding in the iOS 16.1 developer beta.
New in iOS 16 is the ability to add widgets to your Lock Screen. We've curated the top third-party apps that have already added support for these highly-visible widgets that you can download now.
Apple's iOS 16 makes the iPhone more customizable than ever. This is the ultimate guide on how to make the iPhone a more personal device.
It's been a rocky road to the iOS 16 launch. Here are the high-profile features that didn't debut in the initial release of Apple's operating system.
Less an overhaul and more refining what's already in place, iOS 16 is all about personalization on top of a retained solid foundation.
With the SwitchEasy four-in-one MagPower multi-charger, you can power up all your gear with a single device — including your Apple Watch with an Apple-certified puck.
The Benks Grand Pro Headphone Stand for AirPods Max is a welcome upgrade over the original. However, it introduces complexity where there was none before — while also ignoring an obvious problem.
Keep tabs on the air quality of your home — including potentially deadly radon levels — with the Airthings View Plus.
Apple didn't make a Magic Keyboard for iPad mini 6, and Lululook's Magnetic Keyboard perhaps acts as a testament to why.
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