Actor in LDS-themed films booked for theft

OREM — A local actor who has appeared in several LDS-oriented comedies spent the weekend in jail after being arrested for investigation of theft.

Michael Birkeland, of "The Singles Ward," "The Home Teachers" and "Church Ball" fame, was arrested Friday. Utah Valley University police had been looking for him since early April.

On April 3, Birkeland allegedly attended an art class at UVU as a guest and, according to an affidavit of probable cause, he was seen using a computer that belongs to the class instructor. Soon after Birkeland was seen using the computer, police said, he left and the computer was missing.

A few days later the computer's owner spotted Birkeland, who was logged into the computer on Skype, an Internet communications site, and was seen via a built-in computer camera. The affidavit says that Birkeland was contacted by the owner of the computer at that time and Birkeland covered the camera in an attempt to conceal his identity.

Birkeland, 36, was later contacted by phone and asked to return the computer but instead of directly returning it, police believe he left it at the Thanksgiving Point gift shop and they have been looking for him since.

The computer is valued at $2,128.

Birkeland had a bail hearing Monday morning where his bail was set at $3,000. He posted bond Monday afternoon and will have his first appearance in court on July 21.