Story perspectives

AirTag Traces Sergeant's Theft of Photojournalist Gear in Newark

6/5/2026

Summary

Story summary

An AirTag on the gear pinged to Sergeant Darryl Brown’s Sparta home, enabling recovery of photojournalist Angelina Katsanis’s equipment.
Sergeant Darryl Brown was charged with theft after being linked to bag taken from photojournalist Angelina Katsanis at the Newark protest.
He faces a $15,000 fine, five years in prison and suspension without pay, while the protest stemmed from detainees’ hunger strike over conditions and U.S. President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.

History

Historical Context

The Supreme Court’s 2012 decision in United States v. Jones held that installing a GPS device on a vehicle without a warrant is a Fourth Amendment search. That ruling built on Katz v. United States’s privacy standard and now frames debate over civilian trackers like the Apple AirTag used at a Newark protest. Lawmakers are drafting stricter privacy statutes.

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Story summary

An AirTag on the gear pinged to Sergeant Darryl Brown’s Sparta home, enabling recovery of photojournalist Angelina Katsanis’s equipment.
Sergeant Darryl Brown was charged with theft after being linked to bag taken from photojournalist Angelina Katsanis at the Newark protest.
He faces a $15,000 fine, five years in prison and suspension without pay, while the protest stemmed from detainees’ hunger strike over conditions and U.S. President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.

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