The person who found Apple Inc.'s (AAPL) next-generation iPhone prototype that Gawker Media splashed across its Gizmodo tech blog was identified on Thursday as Brian Hogan.

Mr. Hogan's attorney, Jeffrey Bornstein of K&L Gates LLP, issued a statement Thursday saying that he was representing the 21-year-old Redwood City, Calif., resident, who 'regrets his mistake in not doing more to return the phone.' Mr. Bornstein said Mr. Hogan 'believed, and Gizmodo emphasized to him, that there was nothing wrong in sharing the phone with the tech press.' Mr. Bornstein added that Mr. Hogan has been cooperating with authorities regarding the matter.

A spokesman for Apple declined to comment. Mr. Hogan couldn't be reached.

Gaby Darbyshire, chief operating officer of Gawker Media, referred questions to the company's outside attorney. The attorney, Thomas Burke at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, didn't immediately respond to a message for comment.

Mr. Hogan touched off a storm last week when Gizmodo posted stories and photos of the iPhone prototype after paying $5,000 for it. The blog's editor, Jason Chen, described how the phone was found by a source, now known to be Mr. Hogan, at a Redwood City bar last month.

Apple immediately demanded the phone back and late last week, law enforcement officials in California seized computers and other equipment from Mr. Chen to investigate the matter.

In his statement, which was first reported by Wired magazine, Mr. Bornstein confirmed that Mr. Hogan was handed the phone by another bar patron after that person found it near where he was sitting. Mr. Bornstein said Mr. Hogan left the bar with the phone only after everyone near him disclaimed ownership of it. He said Mr. Hogan tried to contact Apple's customer care number.

'Brian's friends describe him as a kind, caring and respectful young man who has done everything he could to cooperate with law enforcement,' said Mr. Bornstein, adding that Mr. Hogan has never been in trouble with the law.

Gizmodo, which has attracted widespread publicity from the episode, has been criticized by some media critics for paying for the phone.

Stephen Wagstaffe, chief deputy district attorney for San Mateo County, which is investigating the case, previously said that it opened its investigation after Apple contacted the authorities.

'We have no immediate plans to arrest anyone and are trying to complete the investigation so we can assess whether anyone should be charged with a crime,' said Mr. Wagstaffe on Thursday. He declined to confirm whether Mr. Hogan was being investigated.

Yukari Iwatani Kane

• attorney [ə´tə:ni] n.代理人；律师 (初中英语单词)
• comment [´kɔment] n.&v.评论；评注；注意 (初中英语单词)
• respond [ri´spɔnd] v.回答；响应；有反应 (初中英语单词)
• california [,kæli´fɔ:njə] n.加利福尼亚 (初中英语单词)
• equipment [i´kwipmənt] n.装备，设备 (初中英语单词)
• everyone [´evriwʌn] pron.=everybody 每人 (初中英语单词)
• contact [´kɔntækt] n.接触；联系 v.联络 (初中英语单词)
• customer [´kʌstəmə] n.顾客，买主，主顾 (初中英语单词)
• investigation [in,vesti´geiʃən] n.调查(研究) (初中英语单词)
• arrest [ə´rest] vt.逮捕 n.逮捕；停止 (初中英语单词)
• confirm [kən´fə:m] vt.证实；认可；加强 (初中英语单词)
• saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)
• resident [´rezidənt] a.居住的 n.居民 (高中英语单词)
• regarding [ri´gɑ:diŋ] prep.关于 (高中英语单词)
• investigate [in´vestigeit] v.调查(研究) (高中英语单词)
• patron [´peitrən] n.庇护人，保护人；赞助人 (高中英语单词)
• cooperate [kəu´ɔpəreit] vi.合作，协作；配合 (高中英语单词)
• deputy [´depjuti] n.代理人；代表 (高中英语单词)
• previously [´pri:viəsli] ad.预先；以前 (高中英语单词)
• enforcement [in´fɔ:smənt] n.实施，执行 (英语四级单词)
• ownership [´əunəʃip] n.所有权；所有制 (英语四级单词)
• widespread [´waidspred] a.广布的；普遍的 (英语四级单词)
• episode [´episəud] n.插曲；一段情节 (英语四级单词)
• trying [´traiiŋ] a.难堪的；费劲的 (英语四级单词)
• spokesman [´spəuksmən] n.发言人 (英语六级单词)
• respectful [ri´spektfəl] a.恭敬的；尊敬人的 (英语六级单词)