Stolen gear - any tips on tracking?

My friend just had his laptop and iPod swiped—or maybe he just misplaced them, I'm not entirely sure which. Does anyone know the best way to go about tracking these down or resolving this situation here in the States? Or is everything just gone for good at this point?
thanks

Is there any news on this front? I suspect timing might be a critical factor here... so far, I haven't received any updates whatsoever...