GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A Florida man is accused of dressing up as an internet technician to pull off an unusual theft.
Police say Shaneal Patel walked into a Gwinnett County gym and committed theft, but didn’t walk out with anything.
They say he stole the internet by plugging in a little box that pays him every time a stranger uses it.
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Experts say the payout is small, but four agencies were all searching for Patel for similar thefts, Channel 2 Gwinnett County Bureau Chief Matt Johnson learned.
“What he’s really doing is stealing network access from these gyms,” Dr. Andy Green, assistant professor of Information Security and Assurance at Kennesaw State University said.
According to warrants, Patel told workers at Onelife Fitness on Duluth Highway that Comcast sent him. They let him into the server room in March, and Gwinnett police say he plugged in a helium hotspot.
The device itself is legal and anyone can purchase one, but it only pays off when plugged into someone’s internet.
Police say Patel was profiting while the gym paid its power bill, internet bill and rent.
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“[The payout is] just a few dollars to maybe $100 a month per location, and that’s really all they’re capable of generating,” Green explained.
Police have not commented on how much money Patel is accused of getting.
Patel, from Panama City Beach, Florida, has been in the Gwinnett County Jail since last week. He was also wanted in Carroll County, Coweta County and Peachtree City.
Experts say every business guards its money, but few guard the room that Patel went looking for.
“Treat your computer wiring closets like it’s a cash register,” Green suggested.
Patel faces three charges in Gwinnett County and charges are pending in three other counties.
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