Utah Tech professor continues to ‘make things right,’ pays $76K restitution for stolen computer equipment

File photo of a rendering of the new "UT" sign on the Human Performance Center | Photo courtesy of Utah Tech University, St. George News

ST. GEORGE —  During a sentencing hearing held last week, a Utah Tech University professor admitted to stealing tens of thousands of dollars from Utah State University where the defendant served as a professor for more than two decades.

David Olsen, 58, former Utah State University professor admited to stealing more than $76,000 from former employer during hearing in 1st District Court in Provo, Utah, Sept. 21, 2022 | Photo courtesy of Utah Tech University, St. George News

According to Cache County Deputy Attorney Andrew Crane, 58-year-old David Olsen, PhD, a 21-year-veteran professor and MIT department head at Utah State University in Logan, stole $76,766 in computer equipment from the school over the course of four years – from January 2016 through March 2020. The defendant had taken the equipment to a local electronics business where he returned them for cash.

Olsen left Utah State in March 2020, according to court records, after the veteran professor had spent more than two decades at the university.

Two months after the defendant left Utah State, he was appointed as assistant professor at Utah Tech University in St. George.

During the sentencing hearing held last week, Olsen pleaded guilty to the second-degree felony and was ordered to pay the full amount back to  Utah State University. He was also placed on three years’ probation and under the terms of the plea agreement, the charge would be reduced by two levels if he completed the terms of his probation successfully – meaning the theft charge would be reduced to a misdemeanor.

During his 21-year tenure at Utah State, Olsen maintained a high rating while serving as a professor and department head of the university’s Jon M. Huntsman School of Business. In fact, he had an overall score of 4.6 out of 5 on the “Rate my Professor” site starting in 2010.

A review of the student’s comments rated Olsen as “excellent,” and more than half said he was “one of the best professors I have had a USU,” and more than one student stated that Olsen’s class was “the best class I’ve ever taken at USU.”

Utah State also recognizes one top performing Undergraduate Teaching Fellow of the Year with an award that also recognizes the faculty mentor of the awardee, and university records indicated that Olsen was recognized for his mentorship efforts for three award years between 2009 and 2014.

Similar comments and an overall rating of 4.6 was found during a review of the rating provided by Utah Tech students, and 11 out of 12 of the students stated they would take the class again. Several students described Olsen as always there to help the students, several stated he was “excellent,” and one user described his class as “by far the best class I have ever had at Dixie State University.”

The professor weighs in

During a telephone interview on Friday, Olsen told St. George News he pleaded guilty to the charge and agreed to pay full restitution, which he did on the day he appeared for sentencing – Sept. 21, when he said he walked into the courthouse shortly after noon and handed over a check for $76,700.

He went on to say he took equipment from the school that he later took to an electronics store and sold for money.

When the thefts came to light, Olsen said, the university conducted an inventory of the equipment in the MIT department and then assessed the value of each of the items that were missing, and the combined value was established, then the information was forwarded to the county attorney’s office prior to the case being filed.

Olsen also said the thefts came to light in March 2020, which is when he elected to retire from his position at Utah State after multiple discussions with university administrators regarding his efforts to “make things right,” he said.

Jon M. Huntsman Hall School of Business at Utah State University, Logan, Utah | Photo courtesy of Utah State University, St. George News

A few months later, he said he approached Utah Tech and in June 2020 was appointed the professorship. It wasn’t until he started receiving spam emails from various attorney’s offices two years later that he became aware that a case had been filed in 1st District Court.

He also said he was forthcoming with Utah Tech University administrators and the college’s provost concerning the information relating to the case filed up north, he said.

He went on to say he chose not to fight the case and agreed to pay the entire amount because he was remorseful for his actions, and more importantly, he said, it was the right thing to do.

He also said he was going through some personal hardships at the time, but regardless, he said, he has taken full responsibility for his actions and has paid the restitution in full. Court records indicate that on Sept. 21, Olsen paid $78,766.72 into a bond account being held by the court.

“The same day of the hearing,” Olsen said, “I walked into the courthouse and handed them a check for the full amount.”

At this point, Olsen said, he is focusing on his job at Utah Tech and on teaching, which is what he loves to do, he said, adding he has worked hard to put his life back together and will continue to strive to bring a level of excellence to the position.

St. George News reached out to Utah State University for comment, and Assistant Vice President Amanda DeRito responded via email by writing, ” We are not offering a statement on this situation.”

Jyl Hall, Director of Public Relations for Utah Tech University also responded to a request for comment via email by stating the university hired Olsen in 2020 and followed the standard hiring practices and procedures – which included conducting a criminal background check.

“At the time of hiring, the background check came back clean,” Hall said, adding the university will continue to follow their personnel policies “based on currently available information.”

This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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