Geraldo Cadava '00 and Ross Fenderson '00 were arrested yesterday on misdemeanor theft charges following the Feb. 15 theft of a guitar and stereo equipment from Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.
Cadava and Fenderson are accused of stealing a Fender Stratocaster electric guitar and three portable stereos from the basement of Sig Ep in the early hours of the Saturday after Valentine's Day.
Police later found the stolen stereos in Fenderson's Hinman residence hall room when they executed a search warrant there.
Hanover Police Detective Sergeant Frank Moran said Cadava and Fenderson are being charged with a simple theft misdemeanor which is punishable only by a fine.
The two could have been charged with four separate thefts and trespassing or a Class "A" felony which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a $4,000 fine.
"To their credit, I did get a lot of cooperation especially when it came to a head," Moran said.
Sig Ep President Pete Hasenkamp '98 said he did not expect to recover any of the stolen items when he discovered they were missing after returning from a weekend trip on Sunday Feb. 16.
Hasenkamp said he filed a report with the police later that week after gathering information about the events of the weekend.
The police attempted to identify who had been in the house after Hasenkamp filed the report, Moran said.
This led to a series of interviews and questionings to "get a better idea of who was [in Sig Ep] and what was taking place," he said.
Matt Ellis '97, who owns the guitar, sent e-mail messages to numerous students in an attempt to recover his guitar before it was found in the Hitchcock hallway and returned, Hasenkamp said.
Moran said the guitar was intentionally left in the hall so it would be discovered and returned to its owner.
Hasenkamp said the guitar's recovery may have led police to Cadava and Fenderson.
"A member of our house lives in Hitchcock on that same floor and knew Gerry Cadava slightly and knew that he played the guitar and things like that," Hasenkamp said. "It was just another name for the police to investigate."
Cadava and Fenderson declined to comment. Their arraignment is scheduled for Apr. 8 in the Lebanon district court.
