I am not sure but apples research an development folks sign away their rights pretty much to work there including such invasive searches of their property at work an at home etc...
If this was a secret product prototype.... They came after the intellectual property under that agreement I’d bet.
Just a thought to ponder.
It’s a pretty bizarre event....
If this fellow was an Apple developer (a coinkydink, given that the prototype was lost by another Apple developer) then it is a whole ‘nother bottle of cider. Can anybody say if that was the case?