Funny story, when I worked at Intel I got to attend/help at COMDEX one year when Intel was showing off their graphics chips. We were packing up some demonstration systems and their very expensive (at the time monitors) into road cases for the event and I noticed there were two brand new "boom box" type portable stereo systems with the gear. I asked if we were doing music in the booth and the product manager replied "No those are for the guys unloading and loading the equipment to steal at the venue." Apparently the only way they could avoid getting stuff stolen while it was being moved by the required convention center staff was to have something "set aside" that they would preferentially steal. It shocked my tender sensibilities.
I really hope the Verge follows up on this story to figure out what happened and shares it with the rest of the world.