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Printer-Friendly ModeFormer S.A. rep. arraigned on felony charges
August 25, 2005 —
Former Student Association Representative Zachary C. Beach, 21, was arraigned on four counts of felony larceny July 8, two of which occured in Curtiss Hall. Trial is set for October 11.
Beach, who had just completed his first year as a Student Association Representative and been voted Representative of the Year by his peers, had been elected to serve a second term in this past April's elections before his arraignment.
The first count against Beach is for the theft of University keys. The second count is for the theft of Best Buy gift certificates and a photo album from a safe inside a Curtiss Hall office. The two additional counts involve the theft of keys and speakers from two off-campus locations.
According to Sergeant Bethany K. Rusch, University Police were led to Beach when his backpack turned up in the Ryder Center after the Ludacris concert on April 22.
"We found a backpack after the concert and it was brought to us as found property," Rusch said. "Anytime we have found property, we have to go through it to find out who the owner is. We located some keys in there that a student shouldn't have."
From there, authorities were able to obtain a search warrant for Beach's residence and vehicle. Authorities were then able to collect sufficient evidence to issue a warrant for Beach's arrest, officials said. University Police then contacted Beach, informed him of the warrant and he turned himself in at the Saginaw County Courthouse.
Though Beach has no prior criminal record, Rusch did say he is being investigated for several other open larceny cases occurring across campus in the last few months. "He's a suspect," she said. "But we don't have enough evidence for him to be charged."
In addition to the felony charges, Rusch said the University is also seeking restitution for the cost of re-coring the doors Beach had access to.
"People need to remember to lock their doors," Rusch said, "and to be accountable for their University keys and know where they are at all times."
Rusch also stated that she believed Beach had been removed from the University as a result of violations of the Student Code of Conduct prohibiting access to University keys and theft from a University building.
Merry Jo Brandimore, assistant vice president of Student Services and director of Residential Life, would not comment, citing the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) prohibiting the University from releasing information from a student's education record. Calls to Beach's lawyer, Floyd Kloc of the Saginaw firm KLOC & Associates, were not returned.
Student Association President Emily Hammerbacher would only confirm that Beach was no longer a Student Association representative, that Beach's position is currently unfilled and that there will be an application process to fill it.
Calls to Beach's lawyer, Floyd Kloc of the Saginaw firm KLOC & Associates, were not returned.
In addition to his duties as a Student Association representative, Beach also served on the P.A.R.T.Y. and Legislative committees. He has also served on the SVSU Program Board.