DALLAS — A Dallas police officer has been placed on administrative leave after turning himself in on a felony theft warrant related to a months-long investigation into missing merchandise from local Apple stores, CBS News reported.
Senior Corporal Le Chau, a 12-year veteran of the department, is accused of stealing more than $37,000 in Apple products while working overnight off-duty security jobs at stores in Dallas. He surrendered to the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office on July 10 and faces a charge of theft between $30,000 and $150,000, a third-degree felony.
According to an arrest affidavit, the investigation began in March after Apple Inc. discovered repeated inventory losses at its NorthPark, Knox Street and Galleria locations. All three stores were listed among the company’s top 10 globally for inventory discrepancies.
Chau was frequently observed on internal security footage spending time in stockroom aisles and closely monitoring security cameras, according to the report. After installing covert surveillance, Apple’s global security team recorded Chau allegedly concealing merchandise beneath his Dallas Police Department raid jacket, in his shirt and inside duffel bags and backpacks during his overnight shifts.
Footage reportedly showed Chau removing 25 items worth $17,271 from the Galleria location on one occasion and 32 items valued at $14,280 from the Knox Street store on another. In one instance, surveillance captured him climbing shelves and using a trash picker to retrieve boxes of AirPods.
Chau and his wife were detained and questioned by FBI agents at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in April. Authorities said Chau’s wife was selling Apple products on Facebook Marketplace.
Investigators concluded that Chau took approximately $37,806 in merchandise without the company’s consent. He has been with the Dallas Police Department since 2013 and was assigned to the Basic Academy at the time of the investigation.
He is currently on leave pending an internal review.
Chau’s attorney declined to comment. He has been released on bond.
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