Detroit Public Schools recovers hundreds of stolen laptops

DETROIT (WXYZ) - Detroit Public Schools has recovered dozens of laptop computers that were stolen from several of its schools.

About 1,700 computers were taken starting in February 2009. It has cost the district about $2 million, according to DPS officials.

A few young men were arrested and charged with elements of the thefts. They belong to a gang known as the Helli Boys.

“Even though these kids were trying to disguise and cover their faces with hoods and such, it did not take a stretch to see that this was some of the same offenders going to these schools,” says Wilbert Van Marsh, DPS Inspector General.

One young man was a MSU football player, whose career was put on hold when Van Marsh learned he was a broker of the stolen units.

“Indeed there was an MSU player who had a role in this whole process,” says Van Marsh. “I can tell you he put buyers and seller together. He could buy large quantities, gave investigators the structure of the organization, connected by cell phone records.”

He says the men were identified when they used the stolen laptops.

“We’ve had over 22,000 recoveries in over 85 countries,” says Doug Lubahn of Absolute Software. “We can tell them who has it, and give them a very good idea on where it’s at as well.”

Absolute Software, which serves the Detroit Public Schools, also makes Lo-Jack for laptop computers. It is a product designed for individuals like the Western Michigan University students who lost their laptops to thieves.

“We were able to recover it working with the campus police,” says Lubahn of Absolute Software. “And their information was actually safe and secure.”

As for the Detroit Public Schools, the district has recovered about 400 of the 1,700 stolen laptops from 43 different locations in Michigan, including Traverse City.

They also turned up in Germany, the United Arab Emirates, and Canada and with ten other U.S. states, including Alaska, Florida and California.