Des Moines man accused of stealing nearly $60K in electronics from Iowa State
A Des Moines man was booked into the Story County Jail after investigators say he stole electronic and computer items worth tens of thousands of dollars from the Iowa State University campus in Ames.
In court documents, investigators say they conducted 13 investigations into a rash of burglaries and thefts on the ISU campus between late October 2024 and early July 2025. The items taken had a combined value of $59,488.80, according to investigators.
Law enforcement officers were alerted to an eBay account listing items that matched the descriptions of the stolen items. Officers identified Donavan Dean Cirksena, 45, as the suspect connected to the account and executed a search warrant at his residence in Des Moines.
Investigators say they found items that had been stolen from Iowa State's campus, including a high-speed infrared camera worth more than $22,000 that had been taken from a secure laboratory.
Cirksena's previous charges
According to court records, Cirksena has a history of taking electronics from the Iowa State campus.
Cirksena was for similar charges. He was sentenced to up to 25 years in prison in that case but was released in July 2024, according to state records.
Cirksena is due in court later this month. He faces charges of theft, burglary and fraud.
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