by Christopher Sanchez
Daily Lobo
The Dean of Students Office is charging 17 students for violating UNM's code of conduct for their involvement in theft at the UNM Bookstore, said Randy Boeglin, dean of students.
Students were taking books and other merchandise and then reselling the items, Boeglin said. They were also taking books for their own use, he said.
Between $50,000 and $100,000 in merchandise and money was lost from the theft, said David Harris, UNM's acting president.
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It is unknown how long the theft was happening, Harris said.
UNM Police started investigating the incident on Aug. 10, according to a UNM Police report.
A Bookstore employee saw co-workers taking books and merchandise out of the store, according to the report. The employee reported the activity to her supervisor, according to the report.
Video footage shows employees taking items from the
Bookstore loading dock without paying for them, according to the report. The footage was taken into evidence by officers, according to the report.
Not all the students are Bookstore employees, and one nonstudent is being charged for violating the visitor code of conduct, Boeglin said.
The Dean of Students Office sent letters to the people involved in the incident on Sept. 5, stating the charges against them, he said.
The charges for violating UNM's policy vary, but the majority of the suspects are charged with theft or receipt of stolen goods, Boeglin said.
The students will not be punished until the office concludes its investigation, he said. It can take a month to complete, he said.
If students are found guilty, they can receive anything from a warning to a suspension, he said. A common suspension is two years, he said.
Code of conduct violations stay on a student's transcript, he said.
"We're very serious about the gravity of this situation," Boeglin said. "We want to make sure those involved understand that we find their actions to be illegal and a violation of our student ethics."
Several students were put on emergency suspension immediately after they were charged, he said. The emergency suspension would not allow them in school until they met with the Dean of Students Office, he said.
The suspended students were involved in organizing the theft, he said.
Authorities say the incident has been going on for a long time.
"I could say this is one of the most intricate, intentional (incidents ever) and involved a significant amount of students," Boeglin said.
The students may also face criminal charges, he said.
The District Attorney's Office will investigate the case once the UNM Police Department concludes its investigation, said Todd Heisey, chief deputy district attorney.
The office will then decide if criminal charges are necessary, Heisey said.
The University will seek compensation for its losses, Harris said.
"I think it would be very important to secure restitution for whatever the amount is," he said.
Authorities would not comment if any Bookstore employees were terminated.
Student employees who are being investigated originally had to notify a supervisor if they visited the store, said Melanie Sparks, director of the Bookstore. However, that policy was recently called off.
"I feel like it was a courtesy thing," she said. "I left them voicemails about the situation we were in and for them to be respectful of that."
The students complied with the policy without problem, she said.
Bookstore security is being reviewed to create a better system, Boeglin said.
