Google employee charged with grand theft

Hard to believe that someone in such a position would actually think he could engage in such a fraud without being discovered eventually. Now he will lose his job with no hope of replacing it, so if he was under the gun with credit card charges and mortgage problems, his situation just deteriorated to the dead-zone.
He probably has no prior criminal background, as is the case with the majority of employees who pass the automatic background screening that all companies use these days. Employers need to use more sophisticated profiling tools to evaluate prospective employees. They may be more expensive upfront, but in the long run, they can help prevent a lot of hidden, future costs.

Unfortunately it also happens to CEO, U.S. Congressman ......

His major crime is stupidity.

This happens in many companies that don't have a good tracking system. Good employees are sometimes tempted by easy money, especially when they think the the company is very successful; their morality goes out the door. All owners of companies should be aware of the looseness of their tracking systems.

$80K is nothing. Remember the VP at Frys who was busted for stealing millions and gambling it away?

What is this "non-street value" quote in the article supposed to mean? When the cops try to exaggerate their drug busts, they always make up a "street value". Is the "non-street value" more or less than the "street value?

Yeah, that "non-street value" is concerning. If it means original purchase price, this may be about much less than indicated. Case in point, how much is your 8088 IBM PC worth today?

I don't condone the crime, but would like to know the "current market value of the used equipment"

Non-street value probably refers to the retail price. Even that is subjective as no company pays retail for computer equipment. There's always a immediate discount.

As for the "current market value of the used equipment", it may be zero dollars if it has been fully depreciated.

Even congressmen and CEO's should be vetted beyond the typical background checks. In fact, they probably need it more than the rank and file.
I'm sure that tracking systems are important, but this probably had to do with equipment that would typically be stored or mothballed, maybe even recycled, especially if the other employees overseeing the department didn't really know the true value of the equipment.
This may seem like an inconsequential amount, especially for a company like Google, but so is an hour of company time spent on personal matters, a tank of gas used for personal reasons, or a day of "mental health" time taken for personal R&R. Add these minuscule items up across all the employees and companies in this country, and it is not such a paltry number. And that's not counting the fraud being perpetrated on everyone by greedy executives and boards of directors making sure everyone gets their "fair market value" via obscene salaries and bogus bonus packages, a strategy borrowed from the play book of professional sports management agents and the athletes they represent. These guys are writing the book for everyone else to use as justification for future transgressions.
The latest trend with credit card companies and ratings agencies is to track spending habits and use that information along with standard psychological profiles and statistical analysis to spot potential default candidates. It's the same type of tool that companies can use in their screening processes. This poor guy probably would have shown up like a giant red flag illuminated 24x7 by spot lights.
It's true that it may be Orson Well's 1984 come to fruition, but at the end of the day, someone has to be minding the store.