This Is The Guy Who Sold Gizmodo The iPhone Prototype

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Brian J. Hogan, everyone. A round of applause are in order.

Hogan was the ‘finder’ of the prototype iPhone that Gray Powell mistakenly left behind at a bar in Redwood City, CA, on March 18. In a statement provided by his attorney, Hogan says he regrets not having done more to return the prototype to its rightful owner.

Wired.com managed to track down the 21-year-old by scouring various social networking sites and confirming his identity with “a source involved in the iPhone find.” Hogan’s attorney has said his client has not been charged with a crime, but San Mateo County Chief DA Stephen Wagstaffe says Hogan ““is very definitely one of the people who is being looked at as a suspect in theft.” The question remains whether or not the incident is a crime or theft.

So what exactly did Hogan do to try and return the device? A friend called Apple Care and that was it, says Hogan’s lawyer. Several patrons of the German bar told reporters that Hogan never once made an attempt to notify staff of his finding. They mentioned that Powell returned several times inquiring about whether someone had turned it in.

“He regrets his mistake in not doing more to return the phone,” says Hogan’s statement. “Even though he did obtain some compensation from Gizmodo, Brian thought that it was so that they could review the phone.”