Former Howard County School Employee Pleads Guilty in Computer Thefts

A former Howard County Public School System employee pleaded guilty Monday to theft after attorneys said she ordered computers, parts and software through the school system and then sold them using her daughter's eBay account.

According to prosecutors, Tina Marie Eiser, 49, of Glen Burnie, stole more than $200,000 worth of computer parts between Sep. 1, 2005, and Dec. 31, 2009, while she was working as a technician for the school system.

A search of Eiser’s home turned up $14,000 worth of computer components and computers that belonged to the school system, according to police.

School officials testified that Eiser ordered “at least double” the amount of computer parts as other technicians, and one of Eiser’s coworkers noticed parts similar to those Eiser had ordered were for sale on eBay, the online auction website.

The items were sold on an eBay account registered to Jessica Griffith, Eiser’s daughter. Griffith told detectives that she did open the account, but that her mother was the person who used it to sell things.

Eiser initially tried to mislead detectives, according to prosecutors, but later said she had used her daughter’s eBay and PayPal accounts to sell items. She said the computer components she sold were going to be disposed of by the school system anyway.

School officials told police Eiser “did not have permission to sell new, old, used or disposed-of computers or parts.”

The judge has ordered a pre-sentence investigation. Sentencing is scheduled for July 15. Eiser faces between probation to six years. Sr. Assistant State’s Attorney Colleen McGuinn said the state will ask for a six-year prison sentence.