The suspect charged for a pair of thefts at the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union Bookstore Jan. 20 appeared in Coles County Circuit Court Wednesday, pleaded not guilty and requested a jury trial.

Public Defender Terese Matthews waived a reading of the charges and asked for a hearing date. Judge Millard Everhart set the next hearing for 10 a.m. March 23.

The thefts were reported to the University Police Department Jan. 20 and were connected to one suspect, Detective Kent Martin said. He said he could not comment any further on the case.

Through a Freedom of Information Act request, it was discovered that Raven Smith, 20, of Colfax Ave. in Chicago, was the person charged in these incidents, said Robert Miller of the university’s general counsel department.

Miller said he could only provide the name because the case is still going on.

When employees of the Union Bookstore were asked about the thefts, they said they could not comment on the incidents.

Mitch Coe, manager of the Union Bookstore, deferred the matter to the UPD.

In another report of theft at the Union Bookstore, someone used a fraudulent credit card to purchase $5,409 of electronics on Aug. 18, according to an e-mail from Miller.

The unknown person purchased two laptop computers, two iPads and two iPods.

The UPD is investigating the case.

The Daily Eastern News has reported three incidents of theft at the Union Bookstore since last semester. These reports occurred on Sept. 13, 2010, Jan. 24 and Jan. 25.

More details will be reported as they become available.

Marcus Smith can be reached at 581-7942 or masmith6@eiu.edu.

Camilia Kennett, junior music education major, looks up the price for mat board Thursday in the University Union Bookstore. (Seth Schroeder

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