Hanover Police arrested Peter Alphonso '96 yesterday on charges of possessing stolen property.
According to a press release issued by the Hanover Police Department, the police received warrants to search Alphonso's dorm room in the Choates cluster and car on April 11.
The police seized an Aiwa stereo system and an Apple StyleWriter II computer printer, both of which were reported stolen in a burglary at Russell Sage residence hall last May.
After being arrested on the felony charge, Alphonso was released on $1,500 personal recognizance bail.
Alphonso was arrested on separate charges of making a false report to law enforcement last Thursday.
That charge was based on an incident in May, 1995, when Alphonso allegedly falsely reported having several pieces of sound equipment stolen from his car.
After the first arrest, which is classified as a misdemeanor punishable by $1,200 to $2,000 in fines and up to one year in prison, Alphonso was released on $500 personal recognizance bail.
Alphonso was arrested in his room in Brown Hall each time.
He is scheduled to appear in Hanover District Court May 22 on both charges.
Hanover Police Detective Graham Baines said the crime is a felony in New Hampshire.
Alphonso declined to comment on his arrests last night.
Baines said the police have completed their investigation of Alphonso.
"It is not really going anywhere else," he said.
Baines said the charges are the result of two separate investigations.
"One is for false reporting, the other was an unrelated investigation that turned up this stolen property," he said.
Baines said police discovered the allegedly stolen equipment in Alphonso's possession during their investigation of the other incident.
Baines said people sometimes report materials stolen to collect insurance money.
"Let's say you have a stereo. You say it was stolen, and it wasn't. You claim it on your insurance company, they pay you," Baines said. "Now you have another stereo. Two is better than one."
Brad Evans '98, the student whose stereo and printer were stolen last May, said he had not learned of the arrest.
"I never heard anything of it again, until two weeks ago, when I got a call from the Hanover Police Department," he said. "They had been serving a search warrant on somebody and had found the stereo in their car."
Evans said the police also asked for the serial number of his printer.
Evans said he does not care whether he gets his equipment back, but he hopes justice will be done.
"Stealing is one of the lowest forms of crime," he said.
