Lang
8/16/24
An Iowa City man accused of placing a tracking device on the bumper of a woman’s car has been given a fine for trespassing.
The alleged victim reported to Iowa City Police in August of last year that an Apple Airtag had connected to her phone despite the fact she had never purchased such a device. The woman clicked a notification for the tag that made it ping. She followed the noise and located the device in the lining of the bumper underneath her car.
Police sent a subpoena to Apple to get the serial number and account information for the Airtag. Apple would eventually provide details indicating the device was linked to an account belonging to 45-year-old Michael Webb of Crescent Street. It also included his email address and phone number.
A search warrant was issued for Webb’s phone, which reportedly confirmed his phone was connected to the Airtag.
Webb was charged with Unauthorized Placement of a Global Positioning Device…which in Iowa is considered a form of stalking. If convicted, he would have faced a maximum of one year in jail.
Webb entered a guilty plea earlier this month, and on Monday he was fined $260 for trespassing. The original charge was dismissed.
The victim in the case informed KCJJ that prosecutors told her they couldn’t prosecute under the original charge because Apple air tags don’t use traditional GPS technology, and therefore don’t fall under the definition of a “Global Positioning Device” under Iowa law.