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GPS units stolen and sold online by BMW plant worker
BMW's great, but there's something wrong when over 23 months and $486,000 worth of Z4 and X5 navigational units go
missing without anyone noticing. I suppose that's only 270 units, which may be a drop in the bucket for how many
vehicles are produced at the Greer, S.C. facility where the crimes took place, but navigational units are supposed to
be stolen after the customer has bought the car, not before, right?
Eric Jason Pitts, a five year employee of BMW, allegedly stole the units from the plant and sold them online. He is
being held at the Spartanburg County Detention Center and was charged with grand larceny of more than $5,000.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Joseph Willemssen 10:37PM (12/18/2005)
Looter.
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Nick 10:37PM (12/18/2005)
Why do people think they're going to get away with things like this?
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Mal Fuller 10:37PM (12/18/2005)
Gee, and Eric looks like such an upstanding citizen! I wonder what drove him to do this?
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Tom W 10:37PM (12/18/2005)
Obviously, this Pitts fellow didn't think this thing thru. With the FBI, CIA, NSA, DHS, etc. tapped into everything, leaving a paper trail, or even an IP address trail, is nothing short of retarded.
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Jonas Grumby 10:37PM (12/18/2005)
Sounds like BMW's production planning and inventory control need some attention, pronto.
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Tom W 10:37PM (12/18/2005)
Why do criminals always look the part?
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Mick 10:37PM (12/18/2005)
#6
Because the cops get to take the pictures!
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md 10:37PM (12/18/2005)
And people call U.S. auto assembly workers bums...
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JustJase 10:37PM (12/18/2005)
His eyes aren't symmetrical, which adds to the deranged look. Maybe one is a little swollen or something.
Otherwise, he's kinda hot looking. But I do love those bad boys. I imagine he'll be the sweetheart of his cell block.
How someone thinks they can get away with something like this amazes me! Sooner or later, you'll get caught. Obviously he's dumb as a rock, too.
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Peter W. 10:37PM (12/18/2005)
scary man... keeps staring into my soul and looking for navigation systems there...
Still, innocent until proven guilty... and he seems a bit more WTF-ish than "I stole de nav systems!"
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Bryan 10:37PM (12/18/2005)
You're a disgrace, you shitbag! The German's come over here, invest in a plant, invest in YOU!!!...and you, you criminal redneck, ..it just 'ain't enough, now is it?
Go back to the farm, where you belong...hopefully the farm on the prison grounds.
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Richard Warren 10:37PM (12/18/2005)
Oh, comon now guys, the poor fellow was just working on his non union 401k plan.
The plan goes like this, we pay you less which encourges you to steal. You sort of build up your inventory, sell it off, (we the company know it's going on, hence no inventory control)
We watch you, then decide it's time to cash in your earnings. We call the police, they arrest you, your retirement begins. Here is what you get:
Free Medical Care
Three square meals a day
Free exercise equipment
Free cable TV
Pool and pin pong tables
A bed in a small room that you can decorate yourself
An education system 2nd to none in criminal activities, the tips you get are priceless when you are released.
And lest we forget the most important part:
A great roommate 280lbs 6'5 named Bubba, who just loves you!
All at taxpayer expense, so the company does not have to fund anything anymore.
Now with a 401k plan like that, hey why not cash in early!
And the company? Well they get to replace this worker with an other lower paid worker, even though they are building some of the most expensive cars in the world. They also get their money back or whatever parts they can, a tax write off, and maybe even some insurance money.
The company back home thinks you did a fine job of finding the thief, the German manager above this guy gets a promotion.
The folks who bought the GPS on the Internet at low prices find they love the quality of the MB stuff, decide to buy the whole car.
Everybody wins! So what's the problem?
Oh, by the way, anyone remember the old Johnny Cash tune. 1 piece at a time
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G. Snyder 10:37PM (12/18/2005)
By the way, the BMW facility is in Spartanburg, SC - not Greer.
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Fred W. 10:37PM (12/18/2005)
#12, let's not glorify stealing...it's wrong, regardless of who sings about it. But if you wish to walk down memory lane with Johnny Cash, let's not forget 'ole Folsom Prison Blues.
As far as your thesis regarding the benefits to BMW for being ripped off, you're not funny.
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Richard Warren 10:37PM (12/18/2005)
Oh, lighten up Fred!
The guys a scumbag, we all know that.
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J. Williams 10:37PM (12/18/2005)
# 13 "By the way, the BMW facility is in Spartanburg, SC - not Greer."
I believe the facility is in the Spartanburg county part of Greer.
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Liza 10:37PM (12/18/2005)
Isn't it sad that you people have nothing more to do than to sit home at your computer and make judgements about people that you most likely know nothing about. #3 had a good point... "I wonder what drove him to do this?" Why does anyone do wrong??? Hmmm... I recall someone much wiser than any of us could ever be once say that one should not judge others, unless he is prepared to be judged himself! So go look in the mirror... NO ONE's eyes are symmetrical!!! That would truly look ODD!
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