[ryoshu]

Apparently he attempted to contact the owner (Apple Inc.). Just because Apple's bureaucracy prevented the phone from being recovered immediately doesn't mean he stole the phone.

[danudey]

He called tech support. If he'd called Apple's main switchboard and asked for Grey Powell, or mailed it to him at 1 Infinite Loop, or e-mailed pictures to [e-mail], or turned it in to the police, then he'd be faultless. As it was, he did the minimum necessary to say 'Yeah, well I tried to call them but they didn't want it back.'

[pyre]

What he did sounds like the equivalent of knocking lightly on a door once, and then declaring that no one is home.

[protomyth]

In CA it does. He is supposed to turn it into the police. Now, some people will turn it into the bar, but that is not what the law says you should do.