My brother actually laughed at dinner and said, ‘I sold that useless laptop of yours for five hundred bucks. Finally got rid of your junk.’ My cousins cheered him on. Then he added, almost proudly, ‘Already handed it off to the buyer.’ I got up, stepped outside, and called my supervisor. By the time I made the report, the FBI cyber team was already tracking the device…

you acknowledge knowingly taking and selling property that did not belong to you.”

“Yes, Your Honor,” Derek said.

His voice sounded scraped thin.

The prosecutor requested continued detention pending sentencing. Flight risk was laughable, but seriousness and exposure made release unlikely.

Then the judge turned to me.

“Mr. Marcus Chin, as the reporting party continue reading …