Man charged in $157,000 theft from Naperville company

A Texas man who was contracted to work on a Naperville company's computer network used the opportunity to steal $157,000 in industrial-grade equipment, prosecutors said Monday.

Hai V. Pham, 51, of Houston, is accused of committing the theft last May when he was brought in as a subcontractor at Lucent Technologies, 2000 Naperville-Wheaton Road.

Assistant State's Attorney William Wu said Pham swiped more than a dozen industrial-grade circuit packs and hard drives before leaving the area. Some of the items had theft sensors, and security footage also captured Pham taking them, Wu said.

Pham appeared in court Monday before DuPage County Judge George Bakalis, who set bail at $100,000. His attorney said he plans to return “most, if not all,” of the equipment, though there may be a dispute as to its value.

“His intent is to resolve the issue,” Paul Deluca said.

Pham formally pleaded not guilty and was taken into custody. He was released later in the day after posting a $10,000 cash bond, authorities said.

If convicted, Pham could face anywhere from probation to up to 15 years in prison. He's due back in court Sept. 5.