A Penn State student was charged yesterday with six counts of receiving stolen property and three counts of theft after she allegedly stole about $2,000 worth of items from a friend's dorm room, a fraternity and various stores.
A Mifflin Hall resident reported to a Penn State University Police officer that her camera had been missing for a week, and she suspected that another Mifflin Hall resident, Caitlan Corbisello, 21, of New Castle, took it.
The resident also told the officer she had seen Corbisello taking a purse and two coats from a fraternity and an MP3 player from a CVS store. The resident also said Corbisello told her she had an iPod and a laptop that she did not purchase, according to the criminal complaint.
When the officer arrived at Corbisello's dorm room, she initially denied having any stolen property, according to the criminal complaint.
Corbisello consented to a search of her room and the officer asked her to turn over anything that was not hers, the complaint states.
Corbisello produced two DVDs, valued at $25 each, from her desk drawer that she said she found in her mailbox, according to the complaint.
The officer asked Corbisello about the laptop on her desk, and she said she got the laptop from Wal-Mart, 1665 N. Atherton St., but did not have a receipt, the complaint states.
After further questioning, Corbisello said she had taken the laptop, valued at $1,048, from the store by hiding it in her backpack, according to the criminal complaint.
Also according to the complaint, the officer asked her about the MP3 player. After briefly denying it, Corbisello admitted to stealing the device, valued at $40.
The officer then opened her desk drawer and observed a box containing a necklace with a $100 price tag still attached, according to the complaint. Corbisello claimed it was a Valentine's Day gift from her boyfriend.
After the officer threatened to call her boyfriend, Corbisello admitted it did not belong to her, the complaint states.
The necklace had been taken from Kauffman's in the Nittany Mall, according to the complaint.
The officer was also able to verify that a digital camera in Corbisello's possession, valued at $230, matched the serial number of the camera the other Mifflin Hall resident reported stolen, the complaint states.
According to the criminal complaint, the officer asked her why she took the camera, and Corbisello said, "I have a problem."
An iPod, valued at $300, was also found in her dorm room; it was deemed stolen property, along with two other coats from Acacia fraternity, 234 Locust Lane, according to the complaint.
University police Assistant Director Tyrone Parham said Corbisello was charged with theft in connection with the stolen camera and DVDs. The receiving stolen property charges are in connection with the items allegedly stolen from retail stores that the complaint states were found in her dorm room.
"It's the individual stores' responsibilities to press theft charges with those acts," Parham said.
Corbisello's preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 17 at the Centre County Courthouse.
