STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A Staten Island police officer is accused of stealing iPads from the vehicle of a suspect in NYPD custody.

Anthony Rivera, 39, faces charges of grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property and official misconduct, police said.

The court complaint against Rivera alleges he "gained access to the vehicle of an arrested person and stole two iPad tablets" while the car was parked at 2900 Veterans Road West, a shopping center in Charleston that houses the borough's Target.

The theft happened sometime between April 26 and April 29, according to the court complaint.

According to sources, a suspect had stolen several iPads from Target, and Rivera, instead of vouchering all of the stolen iPads, kept two for himself.



The store went to make an insurance claim to recover losses from the theft, and noticed the discrepancy.

Internal Affairs investigators executed a search warrant on Rivera's home, and discovered the iPads, and their serial numbers traced back to the theft, sources said.

Rivera, who joined the NYPD in 2007, was assigned to the South Shore's 123rd Precinct in 2008.