$8,000 in stolen property recovered

IU student Ryan P. Mason, 18, faces numerous charges after police searched Mason’s room and discovered an estimated $8,000 worth of stolen items ranging from driver’s licenses, credit cards, student IDs and a social security card, along with sheets of counterfeit money in Mason’s dorm room in Teter Elkin in Teter Quad. \nMason faces four preliminary charges of burglary, according to a police report read by IU Police Department Sgt. Craig Munroe . \nIUPD Officer David Winburn was dispatched around 10:30 a.m. Saturday morning to Teter Quad. A report was received that there was an intoxicated individual on the second floor of Teter Boisen. The intoxicated suspect was described as a white male with short dark hair, and Winburn said that the description resembled that of a burglary suspect in earlier cases.\nWhen the officers arrived to the second floor of Boisen, they found the man who matched the description from earlier burglary reports and arrested him. \nWhile being searched, he identified himself as Ryan P. Mason. Several people standing by said Mason had been in their rooms. In Mason’s wallet, officers discovered $308 in cash, credit cards, driver’s licenses, and IDs, none of which were reported to belong to Mason.\nOne of the cards found belonged to an individual standing in the crowd at the time, Munroe said.\nMason was then escorted to the police car and charged with burglary while intoxicated. Three more subjects were interviewed in relation to the case, and Winburn reported a bit of a struggle when Mason tried to flee from the police car.\nBecause Mason matched the description of someone wanted in several other burglary cases at Teter, Winburn sought a warrant and contacted the prosecutor’s office, who then contacted the duty judge who issued the warrant to search Mason’s room in Teter Elkin, Munroe said. \nAfter their search, police found driver’s licenses, IDs, credit cards, textbooks, iPods, other MP3 players and a social security card, among other items. In addition, they discovered an Xbox gaming system stored in the basement.\nMunroe said that, based on the report, it is estimated that the items belong to at least seven people.\nCurrently, the police are contacting owners to return the property. An investigation to determine the exact facts of the situation is still ongoing. The U.S. Secret Service is also involved to investigate the possible counterfeit money, Munroe said, reading from the police report. \nMunroe said that unlocked rooms played a major role in property being stolen.