Student’s Tip Led to Arrest of UCI Officer : Crime: His observation of missing label on roommate’s borrowed computer ultimately pointed investigators to suspect.

A student at Cal State Fullerton, who grew suspicious of a computer his roommate brought home from work, triggered the investigation that ultimately led authorities to a UC Irvine police officer.

Authorities this week announced that former officer Scott Eric Roberts, 34, faces 17 felony charges that he stole computers and other high-tech equipment from buildings on the Irvine campus over a period of three years, authorities said Thursday.

The unidentified student, who recently graduated, was working as a computer programmer at the Cal State Fullerton Police Department when his roommate came home with a computer he had borrowed from work, said William Huffman, director of public safety for the campus. The student noticed that the computer was similar to those used at Cal State Fullerton and even had a sticky surface in the exact location where the university places identification numbers on its computers.

“It was obvious that a label had been peeled off and that’s what piqued his curiosity,” Huffman said. “He was thinking that it was probably one of our computers.”

The student asked the campus police to run a check on it.

The check revealed that the computer had been stolen from UC Irvine, and police traced it to a person who said he had bought it from Roberts.

“It was a fluke,” Huffman said of the 22-year-old student’s role in the chain of events. “I think working here taught him to be a little more suspicious.”

The student could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Orange County Deputy Dist. Atty. Randy Pawloski confirmed that the student’s actions were “basically what got the ball rolling. That’s what started the investigation.”

Roberts, who joined the UC Irvine Police Department in 1984, was fired on Dec. 20 because of the criminal investigation. He faces theft charges that date back to 1991, when a cellular telephone was reported stolen from a student residence hall during winter vacation.

In the three years since, Pawloski said, Roberts is suspected of stealing a variety of computer parts, portable radios, stereo speakers, videocassette recorders and an electric typewriter from classrooms and administrative buildings around the campus, Pawloski said.

He also is suspected of selling some of the equipment on at least five occasions to various people, Pawloski said.

“He may or may not have been working alone,” Pawloski said. “The investigation is ongoing so we may have additional counts if more victims come forward.”

Roberts, a Trabuco Canyon resident, has until today to post $10,000 bail or surrender at the Orange County Jail. Defense attorney John Barnett has said Roberts will post bail and plead not guilty to all the charges when he is arraigned Monday.

Meanwhile, UCI’s Police Department is still reeling and grappling with how to regain campus trust, Police Chief Kathy Stanley said Thursday.

“The community is amazed,” Stanley said. “It’s a very close community. This is an officer who shared meals with students and staff members. It’s amazing that something like this could be going on. We had such trust. It’s just made everyone sick.”

James Craig, assistant vice chancellor of student affairs, said: “Something like this is a shock. We’re shocked and concerned. But my sense is that people will not judge the department on one person, however this case turns out.”

DeWayne Green, administrative officer for the the university’s computer science department, expressed relief that authorities have a suspect.

“It’s disturbing but, unfortunately, these things happen in any organization,” Green said. “The most important thing is that when it was brought to the attention of authorities, they jumped right on it and didn’t let it slide.”

Roberts could face up to 11 years in state prison if convicted.