Suspect in Jobs Burglary Sentenced to 7 Years in Jail

Kariem McFarlin has been slapped with a seven year prison sentence for burglarizing several California homes including that of former Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Mr. McFarlin broke into the Jobs house in July 2012 and took several items, including Apple products that were used to track him down.

Kariem McFarlin image credit: Santa Clara CountyImage credit: Santa Clara County

Mr. McFarlin was charged with eight felony burglary counts along with a ninth felony for selling stolen property. He faced up to 16 years in prison, but instead will spend up to seven years and eight months behind bars as part of a plea bargin, according to the Oakland Tribune.

His sentence could get cut in half, too, since his plea deal includes a stipulation that each day he spends in jail counts as two as a reward for good behavior.

Mr. McFarlin hopped a construction fence while the Jobs home was undergoing renovations, then took more than US$60,000 worth of property. It appears that he had no idea who the house belonged to.

An iPad Mr. McFarlin made of with from the Jobs's home quickly ended up in the hands of Kenneth Kahn, a professional clown who performs under the name "Kenny the Clown." MR. Kahn said he was given the iPad as a gift and Mr. McFarlin told him it was an old model he was replacing.

Police tracked down the iPad via the device's IP address with some help from Apple's own investigators.

Mr. McFarlin's attorney said he isn't a career criminal and instead made some bad decisions after losing his job.