A former employee of a State College area student housing complex was charged this week for allegedly stealing more than $17,000 in items from tenants.
Nathan J. Carson, 37, of Julian, is accused of using his access as maintenance supervisor at The Yards in Ferguson Township to enter apartments while tenants were away and take items ranging from sneakers to golf clubs to a robotic cat litter box, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed on Thursday.
A man reported to township police on July 20 that he had been away since May and returned to find some of his personal property missing, including a PC tower and monitor valued at $7,000, golf clubs and a golf bag valued at $3,000, a gaming chair valued at $612, a robotic cat litter box valued at $338 and miscellaneous items totaling at least $544.
He told police that he and friends saw the same robot litter box for sale in Julian on Facebook Marketplace, and in the background of the photo was a golf club bag that also matched his, according to the affidavit.
A resident of another apartment told police that he, too, was away between May and July and returned to find his things had been “picked through,” in particular his shoes. He identified a photo of distinctive Nike LeBron sneakers posted for sale by the same user on Facebook Marketplace as belonging to him, police wrote.
Police tracked the seller to a Julian addressed shared by Carson, whom they learned had been employed by the property management company for The Yards. After executing a search warrant, police found some of the stolen items in the home, according to the affidavit.
Carson, who left his position at The Yards in June, said his job was to complete work orders and prepare units or single apartments, which are rented individually, for new tenants. He told police that in May in June he turned over 12 apartments, including those belonging to the tenants who reported stolen items, according to the affidavit.
He allegedly admitted taking items that his family could use or that they could sell.
The manager of The Yards told police that units are only assigned for turnover when a tenant’s lease has expired or they have turned in their keys with documentation surrendering the apartment, and that turnovers typically only occur during two weeks in August. The residents of both units with missing items had active leases, did not turn in their keys and their apartments were not scheduled for turnover, she said.
She added that maintenance staff — who have access to all units by a master key and a mobile entry app — are prohibited from entering bedrooms with active leases unless they have a specific work order to do so, and neither of the apartments had one, police wrote.
Two other maintenance workers confirmed the policies and said they understood their limitations on entering apartments and bedrooms, according to the affidavit.
Carson is charged with two felony counts each of burglary and criminal trespass and two misdemeanor counts each of theft and receiving stolen property.
He was arraigned by District Judge Allen Sinclair and released on $10,000 unsecured bail.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.
