Dallas officer allegedly stole from Apple stores while working security, court records say
Dallas officer allegedly stole from 3 Apple stores
Court records reveal new details about the Dallas police sergeant who was arrested for property theft. He?s accused of stealing thousands of dollars? worth of merchandise while working as a security guard at three Apple stores in Dallas.
DALLAS - Court records reveal new details about the Dallas police sergeant who was arrested for property theft.
He’s accused of stealing thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise while working as a security guard at three Apple stores in Dallas.
Dallas Officer Arrested
The backstory:
Sr. Cpl. Le Chau is facing charges for property theft between $30,000 and $150,000, which is a third-degree felony.
Le Chau (DCSO)
According to the Dallas Police Department, he turned himself in at the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office this past Thursday and posted bond the same day.
Chau has been with DPD since 2013 and most recently was assigned to the Basic Academy.
He was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation.
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Dig deeper:
An arrest warrant affidavit for Chau states that the Federal Bureau of Investigation began investigating him in March and notified DPD’s Public Integrity Unit.
Dallas police opened their own investigation into Chau and a series of missing products from stockrooms at Apple’s NorthPark, Knox Street, and Galleria stores.
"These stores have experienced an exceptionally high volume of count variances over the past two years, placing them among the top ten for all Apple retail stores," the affidavit states.
Chau worked as an overnight security guard at all three stores and frequently brought backpacks and duffel bags to work.
Between March 24 and March 25, cameras at the Galleria store captured video of Chau concealing items in his police jacket and then later going into the break room to place those items into a backpack and a duffel bag, according to the affidavit.
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Additional video footage from the three stores, captured between late March and early April, allegedly shows Chau taking merchandise multiple times.
The estimated value of the merchandise stolen during that timeframe was $37,806, the court document states.
The affidavit states investigators also found evidence that Chau’s wife was selling the merchandise on Facebook Marketplace.
Chau and his wife were detained at DFW Airport on April 23.
Their home was searched, and property from inside the home was seized.
What we don't know:
It’s not yet clear if Chau’s wife was arrested or faces any charges.
The affidavit doesn’t indicate whether the FBI is still investigating Chau or whether he’ll face any additional charges.
What they're saying:
Harrisson New and his girlfriend, Kennedy Williams, live in Chau’s neighborhood.
"Honestly, to me, it just sounds like you can’t really trust nobody nowadays," said New.
"My first, honest reaction was just, wow. I had no idea that the dude was anywhere near me," said Williams.
Chau’s neighbors point out that it’s never a good sign when sworn officers allegedly break the laws they enforce.
"We actually have good people that are taking care of us and keeping our communities safe," said Williams.
"If they’re not going to follow them, what makes you think other people are going to follow them?" said New.
The Source: The information in this story comes from the Dallas Police Department and an arrest warrant affidavit for Le Chau.