He Said He Only Owned an HP. Police Were Looking for a Toshiba.
A copier went missing from a workplace break-room trailer in Ohio. The first response to a deputy’s questions was oddly specific about printer brands.
When a deputy asked about a missing Toshiba copier, the man said he only owned an HP.
That is a very precise answer to a question about a different machine. If somebody asks where the refrigerator went, “I only own a microwave” might be true. It doesn’t do much to locate the refrigerator.
According to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office report, a deputy responded to Thermo Fisher in Warren Township, Ohio, on September 18 about a missing Toshiba E-Studio 3528A. Employees said the copier had been taken from a trailer used as a break room. Business records showed it was in service on September 1.
A copier. From the break-room trailer.
Most break-room complaints involve somebody leaving a mug in the sink. This one required somebody to ask where the office equipment went.
The deputy followed information about a company whose worker had reportedly requested work on the copier. When contacted, the worker initially denied having the Toshiba and said he owned only an HP. He later acknowledged taking and possessing the Toshiba, but said an employee had given him permission.
So the story moved from “I only own an HP” to “I had permission to take the Toshiba.” Those are different answers, even if you’re standing in the printer aisle trying to compare models.
Thermo Fisher personnel told the sheriff’s office that their inquiries found no employee or supervisor who had given that permission. That doesn’t tell us what every conversation was. It does leave the reported permission claim without anyone at the workplace to confirm it.
The sheriff’s report lists the copier’s value at $7,500 to $10,849. I would expect a machine in that price range to produce copies and, if necessary, explain where it has been.
The copier was recovered and returned. The report says a theft warrant was issued and served on September 24. It does not give the outcome of the charge, and the exact date the copier was taken isn’t established.
There’s no need to fill in those blanks. The part we do know is plenty: the Toshiba went missing, the deputy asked about it, and the first answer was about an HP.
Wrong brand. Remarkably specific denial.
Sources
- News 25 Sept 2026 (2026-09-25)
Information checked: October 8, 2026.
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