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Lehi — A Sandy man was arrested after police used information from a stolen camera, listed in a KSL classifieds ad, to track him down.
Lehi Police Lt. Darren Paul said the camera was originally stolen on October 15th, but just this Saturday the owner called police saying he found the exact camera listed in KSL classifieds. The seller, Paul continued, was already under investigation.
“As it turns out our officers were also following the same person that had posted those ads for other property in Lehi that was stolen,” Paul said. “Officers were able to contact the seller, set up a meeting, and then recover the camera and arrest the seller.”
Occasionally we'll find property this way but this one is unique because it's tied to so many cases in Lehi and the surrounding area. Right now we've cleared out several different vehicle burglaries.
–Lehi Police Lt. Darren Paul
He said the camera was still loaded with pictures from the owner. They found other items reported stolen from vehicles in the Lehi area when they searched the home of Jay Haylet Easton, 27, the suspected seller.
Police say it isn’t unusual for criminals to use online sites like KSL.com or Craig’s list to sell stolen goods, but this particular case stands out.
“Occasionally we’ll find property this way but this one is unique because it’s tied to so many cases in Lehi and the surrounding area,” Paul said. “Right now we’ve cleared out several different vehicle burglaries.”
Paul says they believe criminals will sell online because they believe it is less risky — criminals keep anonymity and can avoid the suspicion that follows repeated sales to pawn shops. But in this case the online account linked this seller to multiple stolen items.
Easton is being held on suspicion of holding and using two stolen credit cards as well as theft and burglary.
Police said they believe this case may be linked to a larger robbery operation, and are still investigating.
Brianna is a reporter and weekend anchor for KSL News Radio. Contact her at: bbodily@ksl.com or on Twitter @BriannaBodily
