⏱ 1 min read
A Meriden man is accused of stealing iPads, laptops, a drone, and other high-tech gadgets from the Office of the Federal Public Defender in Connecticut, then pawning them for cash.
Peter Bernadel, 39, a former Computer Systems Administrator at the federal public defender’s office, was arrested April 1, 2026, and released on a $50,000 bond pending trial.
The indictment alleges Bernadel stole the items, including multiple iPads, Apple and Dell computers, a Mavic drone, and a Canon digital camera, between 2020 and 2022, and exchanged them for cash at pawn shops.
Bernadel is also accused of falsifying an inventory record related to an Apple laptop computer that he had stolen and pawned.
He faces eight counts of theft of government property, each carrying a maximum 10-year prison sentence, and one count of falsifying records and information, carrying a maximum five-year sentence.
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📋 Key Facts
- Crime: White Collar Crime
- Defendant: Connecticut
- Location: CT
- Source: DOJ Press Release
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