Volusia Sheriff: Former music teacher accused of stealing instruments from University High School in Orange City confesses

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Courtesy photo / Former University High School music teacher James Morris, 26, is charged with 14 felony counts of dealing in stolen property for alleged thefts of musical instruments sold to cope with gambling debts.

ORANGE CITY -- When musical instruments started turning up missing at University High School in Orange City, school administrators initially had no clues or leads. But the investigation took an unexpected twist earlier this month that led to the school's former music teacher, 26-year-old James Morris.

On Wednesday, Volusia County Sheriff's investigators obtained arrest warrants charging Morris with 14 felony counts of dealing in stolen property.

"Morris has confessed to the thefts, saying he pawned the property to raise money because of a gambling problem," Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson said.

Morris was arrested late Wednesday morning and transported to the Volusia County Branch Jail. A total of six music students had their guitars stolen at school. Meanwhile, the school also had some of its property taken, including two guitars, two violins, a digital camera, a camcorder and a laptop computer.

At first, there was no information or evidence linking the thefts. That changed earlier this month when school administrators confronted Morris, a first-year teacher at University High, about a school laptop computer that he had checked out to use for curriculum planning.

The laptop was never returned and later turned up at a local pawn shop. When questioned by school administrators on Feb. 10, Morris admitted pawning the computer and some music instruments due to a gambling problem, Davidson said. After the meeting, Morris resigned his position with the school.

Sheriff's investigator Stella Ott traced a total of 14 pawn transactions linked to Morris. They included eight guitars, two violins, a laptop computer that was pawned twice, a digital camera and a camcorder. Morris pocketed $825 from the transactions, which took place during an approximately three-month period starting in October.

"Morris cooperated with the investigation, telling deputies that he had hoped to pay back the pawn shops so he could retrieve the property and return it before anyone noticed it was gone," Davidson said, adding he even wrote a letter of apology to the school, acknowledging that he had done things that he wasn't proud of.

"I really have no excuse for my actions, my motivation was both selfish and immature," Morris wrote in the letter. "My heart breaks for the damage I have caused these innocent young people who placed their trust in me."

Morris was arrested just before noon at his residence on East Kentucky Avenue in DeLand. He's being held on $21,000 bond at the Volusia County Branch Jail in Daytona Beach.