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MACON, Ga. — An IT specialist was arrested for allegedly stealing over $10,000 of technology from the Macon business he worked for, according to an incident report from the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office.
“As an IT Help Desk employee he had access to these technology assets and was supposed to issue them and retain them when not in use,” the incident report says. “Instead he abused his position of trust.”
Crawford County man Chance Hodge was arrested on Monday on 26 counts of theft.
The incident report accuses Hodge of stealing 11 iPhones, one iPad and five computers. The incident report says he then sold the technology to two companies that sell used tech.
Hodge worked for B&D Industrial, a Macon-based company which offers services to manufactures and lumber mills. According to Hodge’s manager, Jarrett Warner, he was fired from the company back in October.
Hodge worked for Warner for two years. Even though the technology wasn’t his, he said it felt “personal” for his employee to do something like this.
“It was a big disappointment for us to find this out,” Warner said. “This is a family company. They go out of their way to help each other — they really do… and I know he was treated well.”
Warner says Hodge was fired because of his job performance and not the theft.
In fact, as the company was going through Hodge’s emails after he was fired, they realized he was selling the company’s equipment to websites that specialize in selling used technology, the incident report says.
“He had a good paying job, and he lost his job because of his performance,” Warner said. “The trust issue was a big thing. He was trusted with a lot of stuff… and it was a big surprise he would do that.”
The company says they have video of Hodge taking a new monitor — worth roughly $225 — and a laptop and putting them in his car only a few hours before he was fired.
B&D Industrial says he stole 11 iPhones worth over $5,000 and five computers worth nearly $5,000. All told, the technology was worth just over $10,000.
In the months since, Warner says they still haven’t been able to get any of the technology back.
“It’s in the rearview mirror now,” Warner said.
While deputies with the sheriff’s office were able to get in contact with one of the companies they say Hodge sold the equipment to, by that time, it was too late.
According to jail records, Hodge turned himself in on Monday. The jail’s website shows that, as of now, he does not have bond.
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