California Man Accused Of Using Plastic Toy Camera To Replace Stolen Sony
Jarrel August with alleged Sony camera switch - AI Generated Image
IRVINE, CA - Irvine police arrested a man accused of stealing $34,000 worth of high-end Sony Alpha cameras and replacing the professional equipment with Fisher-Price toy cameras
Jarrel August, 28, allegedly stole expensive mirrorless Sonys, such as the Sony a7 IV and Sony a7R V, and sealed the boxes before returning them to stores for refunds, according to the Irvine Police Department.
"One of the cases that occurred here in Orange County, they shared that they opened the box and instead of a Sony, they found a fairly used Fisher-Price toy camera of the same size," Officer Ziggy Arron said.
How is this possible?
Investigators said the plastic cameras mimic the sound, weight, and construction of Sonys when shaken or quickly viewed. Officers said August received refunds at Best Buy locations in Costa Mesa, Irvine, and Westminster, as well as several out-of-state retailers.
Earlier this week, Irvine PD tracked August to his Van Nuys apartment and arrested him. During the search, they recovered several packages of Sony cameras.
High-Value Recovery
"These were definitely sets that were consistent with what he was purchasing and then returning," Arron said. "These were Sony a7R and Sony a9 III models, which have a very high value on the secondary market."
Irvine police stated August is linked to dozens of similar cases across Texas, Alabama, New Jersey, and Florida.
Our Assessment
While the technical specifications of a Fisher-Price unit rarely match the 61-megapixel output of an a7R V, the weight-to-value ratio and plastic construction was apparently enough to bypass the customer service desk.
Got something from the internet that deserves coverage? Send it to hello@thetogtimes.com — subject line: From The Net.
The Tog Times is the world’s one and only satire news publication for photographers. If you found this useful, hilarious, or personally offensive — you’re in the right place.
📬 Join the mailing list: newsletter.thetogtimes.com
☕ Support the work: paypal.me/lanycpd
🎟️ Get Press Pass: thetogtimes.com/join
📱 Follow: @thetogtimes · @memesfortogs
🤝 Partner with us: thetogtimes.com/advertise
