Man allegedly stole 4 car batteries

A federal probationer allegedly stole four truck batteries from his former employer, then sold it with two other car batteries for $40.

U.S. probation officer Gregory F. Arriola told the U.S. District Court for the NMI last week that Edwin P. Blas admitted stealing the batteries and that the Department of Public Safety had already forwarded the matter to the Office of the Attorney General.

Arriola said the OAG is still deciding whether to prosecute the matter. Once a decision is reached, Arriola said he would update the District Court and possibly request for court action.

He visited Blas at his home in Koblerville last April 25, during which Arriola subjected him to a breathalyzer test after seeing an open can of beer at the house.

The test showed Blas with a blood alcohol level of .021 percent. Blas admitted consuming a can of beer prior to Arriola’s arrival. The legal BAC limit is .08 percent.

In the case of the alleged theft of batteries, Arriola said a police officer went to the Atkins Kroll car dealership in San Jose last Nov. 8 in response to a theft complaint.

The officer later met with an employee, who disclosed that Blas had sold him six used car/truck batteries that morning. The employee said four of the six batteries were the types used for trucks. The employee suspected that the four batteries appeared to have been removed forcibly from the engine compartment.

The employee said he paid Blas $40 for the batteries and provided a copy of the transaction receipt to the officer.

That same day, the officer managed to talk with the victim, who noticed earlier that day that four truck batteries were missing from his shop in China Town.

The victim attempted to locate the batteries by checking various car dealership around the island and eventually found them at Atkins Kroll.

The victim suspected that his former employee, Blas, was involved.

Arriola said that last Dec. 6, a police detective interviewed Blas, who allegedly admitted that he indeed stole the batteries and that he was with his wife at the time of the incident.

Blas confessed that the next day, he dropped his wife to work, then went to Atkins Kroll to sell the batteries for $40.

The report did not mention whether the two car batteries were also stolen from the same victim.

Blas allegedly claimed that he stole the batteries because his former employer treated him badly when he was still working at the shop.

On July 27, 2016, Blas’ supervised release was revoked and he was sentenced to one-month imprisonment, followed by 51 months of supervised release for using marijuana and lying to his probation officer.

On May 18, 2017, Blas’ supervised release was revoked again for using methamphetamine and alcohol. He received seven days of imprisonment followed by 41 months of supervised release.

On Feb. 9, 2016, the court granted the U.S. Probation Office’s recommendation that the condition ordering community service be removed from the judgment against Blas because he is a sex offender.

Blas has a previous local conviction for a sex offense, requiring him to maintain his registration with the DPS’ Sex Offender Registry.

In 1999, the District Court sentenced Blas to 180 months in prison for hostage taking and for felon in possession of ammunition.

In July 2013, he completed his prison term and his five-year supervised release then commenced.

In April 2014, Blas’ supervised release conditions were modified to prohibit him from drinking alcoholic beverages.

In October 2014, the court revoked his supervised release for eight months due to continued alcohol use. He was then placed on 52 months of supervised release.