Burglar of Jobs Family's Home Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison

[MacRumors]

IDG News Service reports that Kariem McFarlin, the burglar who stole $60,000 worth of Apple products and other items from the home of Steve Jobs' family last July, has been sentenced to seven years in prison. McFarlin entered the home while it was undergoing renovation and stole two iMacs, three iPads, three iPods, an Apple TV, jewelry, and other items.

REACT officers found McFarlin with help from Apple security, which tracked where the stolen devices were being used by matching their serial numbers with connections to Apple iTunes servers. The IP address in use matched a line in McFarlin's apartment in nearby Alameda that was also being used by an Apple device registered to a member of his family, according to a police report. [...]

McFarlin admitted to the burglary under questioning by Palo Alto police and said he had stolen from other homes in the San Francisco Bay Area, including two homes in Marin County, four homes in San Francisco County and one home in Alameda County.

Renovation work on the Jobs family home in July 2012 (Source: Forbes)

Immediately following the burglary, officials indicated that it appeared to be a random crime of opportunity due to the renovation going on at the house, with McFarlin having been unaware that he was targeting the home of Steve Jobs' family. At the time of his arrest, McFarlin still had a number of the stolen items in his possession, while others had been distributed to friends, including an iPad that made its way into the hands of a local clown.

Article Link: Burglar of Jobs Family's Home Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison

[JXChain]

Good, the idiot deserved it.

[Squilly]

That's not even cool.... seven years is a lot of time for burglary.... but at least he was caught.

[HenryDJP]

Originally Posted by FilipH

wow, 7 years jail for that ? You'd have to murder someone in Belgium to get that much.

Originally Posted by Squilly

That's not even cool.... seven years is a lot of time for burglary.... but at least he was caught.

WOW, are you two serious?? A crime is a crime is a crime and the criminal in question didn't do this by accident, nor was he just a victim of circumstance. This was intent. Be honest about it, if someone broke into your home and just took a box of cereal you'd call the feds on him and want the book thrown at him for life because your home was violated and your personal belongings were exposed.

Sadly your responses are most likely due to the fact it was the home of the Almighty independently wealthy Steve Jobs who was the CEO of one of the biggest companies world wide so you probably feel the criminal only deserves a slap on the hand.

[Daws001]

Wow. Seems like a more fair punishment would be 7 years of having to use a Windows Phone and Surface. If he's caught using an Apple product or glancing through an Apple Store window, he loses a finger.

[Azurael]

Originally Posted by HenryDJP

WOW, are you two serious?? A crime is a crime is a crime and the criminal in question didn't do this by accident, nor was he just a victim of circumstance. This was intent. Be honest about it, if someone broke into your home and just took a box of cereal you'd call the feds on him and want the book thrown at him for life because your home was violated and your personal belongings were exposed.

Sadly your responses are most likely due to the fact it was the home of the Almighty independently wealthy Steve Jobs who was the CEO of one of the biggest companies world wide so you probably feel the criminal only deserves a slap on the hand.

Let's face it though. If it hadn't been such a high profile victim, I bet the bloke would have got away with a slap on the wrist. I don't think people are complaining about the sentence so much as the inequality of sentencing dependent upon the victim's fame and fortune.

Perhaps I'm wrong and things are taken a bit more seriously in the US but most of the time in the UK if a 'minor' theft is committed - even home invasion and it wasn't from somebody famous or a massive multinational, the police don't even bother to look into it. My dad's bag got nicked in a club a few months ago, and even though they had CCTV footage of the criminal's unobstructed face from his attempt to use a cash machine, they didn't have the resources to follow it up. So what the feck are we paying for in our taxes? Private security for multinationals and the rich and famous? A massive drugs 'war'? That's the issue.

Of course criminals should be locked up, but what's a criminal anyway? Somebody with a joint's worth of weed? A rapist? A murderer? Somebody who commits massive fraud and throws the whole world's economy into turmoil?

[HenryDJP]

Originally Posted by Azurael

Let's face it though. If it hadn't been such a high profile victim, I bet the bloke would have got away with a slap on the wrist.

I don't think so, it was grand theft. Stop making this out to be about Apple, Steve Jobs or anyone else high profile. The guy robbed multiple homes. Did you notice that none of the owners of the other homes were announced? Perhaps they weren't high profile??? The guy is not being sentenced to 7 years for burglarizing Jobs' home only. If you guys in the UK don't punish people very much for grand theft and multiple home robberies then your country is sadly misguided.

Originally Posted by Azurael

Perhaps I'm wrong....

I wouldn't bet against it.

Originally Posted by Azurael

most of the time in the UK if a 'minor' theft is committed - even home invasion and it wasn't from somebody famous or a massive multinational, the police don't even bother to look into it.

Once again, it wasn't minor, it was grand theft and as for what you say about the police in the UK not taking heed to a home invasion? I call BS on that. Am I correct that you are under age 20?

[PraisiX-windows]

Originally Posted by HenryDJP

Sadly your responses are most likely due to the fact it was the home of the Almighty independently wealthy Steve Jobs who was the CEO of one of the biggest companies world wide so you probably feel the criminal only deserves a slap on the hand.

In other parts of the world, the legal systems are way more sophisticated, than to just give harsh sentences for criminal offenses - if it helped, maybe USA wouldn't still be as messed up as it is.
In Denmark we've got a popular expression with USA which roughly goes something like this "That would be like american conditions!" - it's used when something is absurdly primitive, you really are a laughing stock in other places.

It's irrational (not to say horrendously ineffective) to seek retributive justice, it's not the criminal's fault that he is the way he is, why should he suffer? - he's just as much a victim of circumstance as his own victims. Justice should be about protecting the people and correcting the offenders (not punishing them).

My mother was the victim of burglary, she hardly cared, and I don't think the victim got more than a fine either. There's a huge difference between burglary and armed private robbery, but even that should not be met with such a hard sentence unless we're talking repeated offenses.

[GermanyChris]

Originally Posted by bubba satori

apple should just buy the prison and waterboard him or make him listen to joke biden's speeches.

GOOG first though..

[HenryDJP]

Originally Posted by PraisiX-windows

In other parts of the world, the legal systems are way more sophisticated, than to just give harsh sentences for criminal offenses - if it helped, maybe USA wouldn't still be as messed up as it is.
In Denmark we've got a popular expression with USA which roughly goes something like this "That would be like american conditions!" - it's used when something is absurdly primitive, you really are a laughing stock in other places.

It's irrational (not to say horrendously ineffective) to seek retributive justice, it's not the criminal's fault that he is the way he is, why should he suffer? - he's just as much a victim of circumstance as his own victims. Justice should be about protecting the people and correcting the offenders (not punishing them).

My mother was the victim of burglary, she hardly cared, and I don't think the victim got more than a fine either. There's a huge difference between burglary and armed private robbery, but even that should not be met with such a hard sentence unless we're talking repeated offenses.

You've gotta be kidding me and yourself. Maybe that nonsense comes from "Denmark Conditions" . And also, read the whole article next time rather than the headline.

[macquariumguy]

Originally Posted by PraisiX-windows

It's irrational (not to say horrendously ineffective) to seek retributive justice, it's not the criminal's fault that he is the way he is, why should he suffer? - he's just as much a victim of circumstance as his own victims. Justice should be about protecting the people and correcting the offenders (not punishing them).

That's the most messed up thing I've read in a very long time.

[E.Lizardo]

Originally Posted by Squilly

That's not even cool.... seven years is a lot of time for burglary.... but at least he was caught.

I guess you missed the part where he has a bigtime repeater.Knowing California he'll be out in 18 months committing more crimes.

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Originally Posted by LastMinuteMike

Holy **** that's a harsh sentence! Recently this guy shot a 17 year old girl in Sweden, and he was only sentenced to 2.8 years in jail.

I know it's to different penal-systems, but still, the punishment doesn't really seem fit for the crime...

If I didn't know better, I'd say it's because it was Steve Jobs house.

That's Sweden's problem!

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Originally Posted by saguaro970

Meanwhile on Wall Street...

And Congress...

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Originally Posted by diazj3

PTSD, really?!?! as in war PTSD?

Yes.The military does not have the copyright on it.I have a mild case due to some horribly botched surgery that turned my 4 day stay in the hospital into two months,including 5 weeks in a coma.

[blackburn]

Some countries like Portugal have the max sentence at 25 years, kill one get 17 years, kill many you can only get 25 tops.
I don't think that 7 years is much. After being robed you do change your perspective. That feeling of security? Gone.

[FilipH]

wow, 7 years jail for that ? You'd have to murder someone in Belgium to get that much.

[STiNG Operation]

The person will end up on the worlds dumbest criminals. He really should have done his research on this one. lmao.

[AppleFan1984]

Originally Posted by STiNG Operation

The person will end up on the worlds dumbest criminals. He really should have done his research on this one. lmao.

Why should the penalty differ based on the wealth or fame of the victim?

[STiNG Operation]

Originally Posted by AppleFan1984

Why should the penalty differ based on the wealth or fame of the victim?

It really shouldn't, but as most people know that's not how it works in life...

[gnasher729]

Originally Posted by AppleFan1984

Why should the penalty differ based on the wealth or fame of the victim?

Let's say you steal a car. You might steal the car of someone who needs it to get to work to feed his family, has no money to replace it, and gets into huge trouble. Or you might steal the car of someone who has three more cars in his garage, tons of money, and is not even inconvenienced. Same crime but one had much more impact on the victim. I'd think the one that had more impact on the victim would deserve a harsher punishment.

[RoelJuun]

Originally Posted by FilipH

wow, 7 years jail for that ? You'd have to murder someone in Belgium to get that much.

Just about to say the same thing as I live in the Netherlands. And the worst thing is that it is no joke.

[JM-Prod]

Armed robbery and shoot a police man, and you get about 7 years in Norway. A bit on the short side if you ask me, but on the other hand.

7 years for stealing a few consumer items... that's pretty insane.

[gnagy]

Originally Posted by JM-Prod

Armed robbery and shoot a police man, and you get about 7 years in Norway. A bit on the short side if you ask me, but on the other hand.

7 years for stealing a few consumer items... that's pretty insane.

I wouldn't want my consumer products stolen, and a 7 year sentence sends the right message to other criminals. I think the punishment is about right.

[lukarak]

In Croatia:

2 people dead in a car accident (they weren't wearing seat belts), 11 months.
4 people dead in a car-truck collision, typing on the cellphone, destroying evidence, 8 years.
Execution, bullet to the back of the head, 4.5 years.
Possession of marijuana, for personal use, enough for 3-4 joints, 2.5 years.
Obduction, rape and murder, one victim, 40 years.

Things are not always proportional. But repeated offenders should get the biggest sentences.

[Kwill]

Originally Posted by JM-Prod

Armed robbery and shoot a police man, and you get about 7 years in Norway. A bit on the short side if you ask me, but on the other hand.

7 years for stealing a few consumer items... that's pretty insane.

The US penal system may be a bit odd in comparison to other parts of the world. Though he is sentenced to 7 years, he may actually only serve about 4 before being released on good behavior. The only way he gets longer if he brawls, stabs another inmate, sells contraband or steals a warden's iPad while in prison.

It is quite unfortunate that he did not steal because he was destitute. He was just opportunistic. He and the other clown were found playing with the devices.

I wonder if we all can receive integrated police and iTunes tracking service in the event of theft. The article made it sound like sophisticated surveillance. Is this just Find My Mac (Phone)?

[See Flat]

Originally Posted by JM-Prod

Armed robbery and shoot a police man, and you get about 7 years in Norway. A bit on the short side if you ask me, but on the other hand.

7 years for stealing a few consumer items... that's pretty insane.

The article seems to imply that he got seven years for the Jobs home burglary.
The sentence is for all the burglaries he admitted too. So if yo want to dice and slice... he might have gotten 1 year for the jobs burglary, would probably be out in 3 months for good behaviour.

Does that sound less cruel and biassed to you?

[WestonHarvey1]

Originally Posted by JM-Prod

Armed robbery and shoot a police man, and you get about 7 years in Norway. A bit on the short side if you ask me, but on the other hand.

7 years for stealing a few consumer items... that's pretty insane.

I assume you've never been the victim of a home invasion. It changes your life. It can trigger Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It's a total violation of your liberty and security. It's not the loss of some consumer items. You'll give a rats ass about that when it happens to you.