Booking photograph for Terry J. Trinkella (Courtesy: Cache County Jail)
LOGAN — A decide has refused a plea deal advice for probation and sentenced a 35-year-old Hyrum man to jail for stealing computer equipment while employed at Utah State University. Terry J. Trinkella was ordered to report to the Cache County Jail by Friday to start serving a 30-day sentence.
Trinkella participated in a digital listening to in 1st District Court Monday morning, showing by internet convention. He beforehand pleaded responsible to housebreaking, a third-degree felony; and theft, a category A misdemeanor.
In July 2020, the USU Police Department started investigating the disappearance of a number of computer systems. The thefts occurred in a number of buildings on the Logan campus and South Farm campus. The gadgets included computer onerous drives, wi-fi community playing cards and an Apple Surface Studio computer. The thefts occurred in lecture rooms which can be used for the aim of transmitting USU programs electronically and are thus saved in an unlocked and accessible state.
Security footage confirmed Trinkella exiting the constructing. He was carrying a big sq. merchandise wrapped in a rubbish bag beneath his proper arm.
Police later searched Trinkella’s automobile and positioned a backpack that belonged to the defendant. Inside have been a number of gadgets of computer {hardware}, together with onerous drives, reminiscence playing cards, and SD playing cards.
During Monday’s listening to, protection lawyer Courtney Koehler requested the court docket to comply with the plea deal advice, made beforehand with prosecutors and sentence Trinkella to probation. He mentioned his shopper was going via “tough occasions” when the crimes occurred however now accepts accountability for what he did.
Judge Brandon Maynard mentioned he was “baffled” with lawyer’s advice for probation as a substitute of jail contemplating Trinkella had stolen greater than $18,200 in equipment. He sentenced the defendant to a month in jail and ordered him to proceed paying restitution.
