Man charged with stealing 24 iPads from Crystal Lake school

A 30-year-old man who confessed to stealing 24 Apple iPads from a northwest suburban Crystal Lake school is facing felony charges.

Carlos J. Lucas was charged with one count of felony theft over $500 from a school, according to a statement from the Crystal Lake Police Department. He was an employee with a maintenance company contracted to do work on Bernotas Middle School, 170 N. Oak St., during its two-week winter break.

Police were notified on Jan. 3 that 24 iPads were missing from two separate classrooms, police said. Police worked with the school’s Information Technology Department to identify Lucas as a suspect after receiving an activation notice of one of the stolen iPads.

Police then obtained an arrest warrant for Lucas, who voluntarily surrendered to Crystal Lake Police on Thursday, police said.

Bond was set at $50,000 for Lucas, police said. He posted 10 percent of the bond amount and was released from custody pending his next court date, scheduled for 9 a.m. June 6 at the McHenry County Courthouse.