Sentencing Delayed for Peninsula iPhone Thief

Sentencing has been delayed for a 26-year-old man who pleaded no contest to charges in connection with thefts along the Peninsula, including of iPhones and iPads from multiple businesses.

Prosecutors say Nicholas Simat engaged in a rash of burglaries in South San Francisco, Burlingame and Daly City beginning in February, and followed the same pattern in each case.

Simat would enter a business, including a dental office, furniture store, motorcycle dealer or car repair, and ask the receptionist or employee up front a variety of questions, District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said.

He would sometimes give a phony name, then would loiter in the office area until the desk attendant left momentarily.

When the employee left the front office area, Simat would steal either an iPhone or iPad on the desk, then run away.

Several victims had video surveillance in their offices and police created a flyer to distribute throughout the Bay Area, warning of Simat's actions.

Simat was arrested and initially charged with 13 counts of second-degree robbery. On May 4, however, Simat pleaded no contest to four counts of felony commercial burglary in exchange for no prison time.

Simat was due to be sentenced on Friday but sentencing was pushed back to July 30. He faces a year in county jail, and remains in custody in lieu of $100,000 bail.