When Apple engineer Gray Powell’s prototype iPhone HD/iPhone 4G fell from his bag in a bar, it was “found” by Brian Hogan, and — as it turns out now — it was Hogan’s roommate, Katherine Martinson, who turned Hogan in. Here’s the gist, including Hogan’s obvious effort to enter into karma receivership right from the start:

“Sucks for him,” Hogan allegedly told Martinson. “He lost his phone. Shouldn’t have lost his phone.”

Martinson turned Hogan in because Hogan had plugged the phone into her laptop in an attempt to get it working again after Apple remotely disabled it. She was convinced that Apple would be able to trace her Internet IP address as a result. “Therefore she contacted Apple in order to aboslive herself of criminal responsibility,” according to the affidavit.

Martinson informed Apple Hogan had found the phone, knew the Facebook profile of the person who lost it, but instead of trying to return it was offering it up to gadget blogs. (It ultimately found its way to Gizmodo).

What followed is an almost farcical attempt at destroy evidence with police hot on the trail.

Now we just need to find out how the older prototype got to Vietnam…

[Wired]

Thanks to surveillance cameras and good detective work, one of the suspected iPad thieves who cost a man his finger has been caught and is presently behind bars. Brandon Darnell Smith 20, was picked up at his home and is being investigated in connection with the theft and injury. He has been charged with second-degree assault and robbery. The suspect was caught one day after the incident took place.

Takes off sunglasses, squints into the sun. I guess this thief got more than just the finger. Cut to Miami skyline, cue music… Yeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!.

(Ok best I could do, please add a better Horatio one liner in the comments!)

[Denver Post via TUAW]

The circumstances surrounding that iPhone HD/iPhone 4G prototype that surfaced online this week are now officially being looked into by local law enforcement:

Apple has spoken to local police about the incident and the investigation is believed to be headed by a computer crime task force led by the Santa Clara County district attorney’s office, the source said. Apple’s Cupertino headquarters is in Santa Clara County, about 40 miles south of San Francisco.

None of the parties directly involved have commented yet, and seriously we don’t expect them to at this point since anything they say could literally be used against them.

All we know is that this will make a heckuva sequel to Pirates of Silicon Valley. Wonder if Noah Wiley still has that black turtleneck…

[CNET, thanks to Jeremy and everyone who sent this in!]

Man goes into Apple Store for help with iPhone. Man gets frustrated with iPhone. Man threatens to shoot iPhone if it doesn’t start working. Man draws attention to previously concealed weapon. Apple Store techie tells manager. Manger calls police. Police arrive. Police arrest man.

No iPhones were injured.

[WPCO 9 via Gizmodo]

In the justice system of internet zaniness, iPhones are represented by two separate yet equally important groups. Apple, who creates cool technology, and the badapps people who put it to use. These are their stories…

First up, reader Matt pointed us towards an article on CNN.com where a passenger traveling within the US, carrying over $4000 in cash, was held for questioning and all he had to defend himself was:

a pocket edition of the U.S. Constitution and an iPhone capable of making audio recordings. And he used them.

Next up, Icebike let us know about Intermittent Kevin (via Slashdot) who was attending a Lego convention in Chicago who’s iPhone was left behind at a bar, and stolen. His only hope:

I had just activated the brand-new Find My iPhone service.

(Note: while he recovered his iPhone, he might just as easily have run into Hannibal Lecter. “Hero complex” is personal protection faux-pas 101. These stories are presented for interest-sake only. No one at TiPb or SPE advises anyone to put their life in jeopardy for a gadget.)