Meet Brian J. Hogan: The 21-year-old resident of Redwood City, CA is the focus of the tech world this morning. Why? Did he invent a low-cost computer for developing nations or sell his social network for $100 million? Nope. He found a lost phone in a bar. Not just any phone, of course. Hogan found an iPhone–from the future.
Hogan attempted to return the thing in vain, ultimately selling it to Gizmodo for $5,000. One police invasion of a Gizmodo editor’s home later, and here we are.
Wired tracked Hogan down and spoke with his lawyer, who offered some choice quotes, including, “He regrets his mistake in not doing more to return the phone. Even though he did obtain some compensation from Gizmodo, Brian thought that it was so that they could review the phone.”
The attorney, Jeffrey Bornstein, also made a big effort to emphasize what a good guy his client is: “He also volunteers to assist his aunt and sister with fundraising for their work to provide medical care to orphans in Kenya. Brian is the kind of young man that any parent would be proud to have as their son.”
That said, the police are still investigated the possibility that a crime was committed. According to San Mateo County chief deputy district attorney Stephen Wagstaffe, the phone’s finder “…is very definitely one of the people who is being looked at as a suspect in theft. Assuming there’s ultimately a crime here. That’s what we’re still gauging, is this a crime, is it a theft?”
