Employee is accused of stealing $10,000 worth of technology from a Macon employer

MACON, Ga. – An IT specialist was arrested for allegedly stealing more than $10,000 worth of technology from the Macon company he worked for, according to a Bibb County Sheriff’s Office incident report.

“As an IT help desk employee, he had access to these technology resources and was expected to display and store them when not in use,” the incident report states. “Instead, he abused his position of trust.”

Crawford County man Chance Hodge was arrested Monday on 26 counts of theft.

In the incident report, Hodge is accused of stealing 11 iPhones, an iPad and five computers. The incident report states he then sold the technology to two companies that sell used technology.

Hodge worked for B&D Industrial, a Macon-based company that provides services to manufacturers and sawmills. According to Hodge’s manager Jarrett Warner, he was fired from the company back in October.

Hodge worked for Warner for two years. Even though the technology wasn’t his, it felt “personal” to his employee to do something like that.

“It was a big disappointment for us to find out,” Warner said. “This is a family business. They go out of their way to help each other – they really do… and I know he was treated well.”

Warner says Hodge was fired because of his job performance, not the theft.

In fact, when the company went through Hodge’s emails after he was fired, they discovered that he was selling the company’s equipment to websites that specialized in selling used technology, the incident report said.

“He had a well-paying job and lost his job because of his performance,” Warner said. “The trust issue was a big deal. He was entrusted with many things… and it was a big surprise that he would do that.”

The company says there is video of Hodge picking up a new monitor — worth about $225 — and a laptop and putting them in his car just hours before he was fired.

B&D Industrial says he stole 11 iPhones worth more than $5,000 and five computers worth nearly $5,000. All told, the technology was worth just over $10,000.

Warner says that in the months since, they still haven’t been able to get the technology back.

“It’s in the rearview mirror now,” Warner said.

While sheriff’s office officials managed to contact one of the companies Hodge allegedly sold the equipment to, by that point it was already too late.

Hodge turned himself in Monday, according to jail records. The jail’s website shows he is currently out of bail.