Current Events > Homeless man faces 7 years in prison for 43 cent theft

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Antifar
09/22/21 12:45:25 PM
#1:


https://www.yahoo.com/news/homeless-man-faces-seven-years-143627734.html?
A man who mistakenly underpaid 43 cents for a bottle of soft drink at a gas station is being held on a $50,000 bond and faces up to seven years in prison.

Joseph Sobolewski was arrested on a felony charge under Pennsylvanias three strikes law for retail theft, according to court records, as he has two nonviolent theft convictions from many years earlier.

Mr Sobolewski is reported to have seen a sign at an Exxon gas station offering two bottles of Mountain Dew soda for $3, and believing $2 would cover the price of one, left his money on the counter. In fact, a single bottle cost $2.43, so staff at the gas station called the State Police.

Megan Ammerman, a spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania State Police, told The Washington Post that for someone who has twice previously been convicted of retail theft, an additional offense is automatically a felony, regardless of the value of the items stolen.
She said in a statement: Troopers cannot decide to not charge someone for a criminal case, only victims of certain crimes can decline charges. If we are called to an incident involving a crime we follow and enforce the PA Crimes Code.

Brandon J Flood, secretary of the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons, called the charge a complete and utter waste of resources.

He continued: This is literally a matter of cents, resulting in not only criminalizing an individual but costing taxpayers money to house him.

Mr Flood told The Washington Post. Were still grappling with a global pandemic and we have to be better fiscal stewards across the board, and this is the complete antithesis of that. We shouldnt be seeing these kinds of cases.

Court records show that Mr Sobolewski drove away without paying for a tank of gasoline more than a decade ago. In 2011, he stole a pair of $39.99 shoes from Kmart and was sentenced to three months in jail. He paid $866 in fines and fees related to the offense.
Mr Sobolewski now faces between three-and-a-half to seven years in jail, as his miscalculation over the price of the fizzy drink is a third theft offense.

Mr Flood said he is hopeful that Mr Sobolewskis case could be a flagship case that eventually leads to changes in the three-strikes law.

This law is crafted because its meant to serve as a deterrent, and I dont think it has served its purpose, Mr Flood said. This is low-hanging fruit.

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#2
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PatrickMahomes
09/22/21 12:49:58 PM
#3:


If I was homeless, isn't jail the best place to go? Three meals a day, a bed, and a roof over your head.

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Questionmarktarius
09/22/21 12:50:18 PM
#4:


If anything, this is a decent argument for including sales tax in the shelf price.
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TheGoldenEel
09/22/21 12:50:45 PM
#5:


Of course polices hands are tied here, theres nothing they could possibly do to not ruin this mans entire life

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Intro2Logic
09/22/21 12:50:52 PM
#6:


PatrickMahomes posted...
If I was homeless, isn't jail the best place to go?
No! Jails are bad!

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itachi15243
09/22/21 12:51:11 PM
#7:


This is painfully sad to hear.

Just cut him a fucking break.

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Pepys Monster
09/22/21 12:51:24 PM
#8:


Biden's America

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Accolon
09/22/21 12:51:38 PM
#9:


Those gas station people are fucking assholes

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Ricemills
09/22/21 12:52:14 PM
#10:


Antifar posted...
Mr Sobolewski is reported to have seen a sign at an Exxon gas station offering two bottles of Mountain Dew soda for $3, and believing $2 would cover the price of one, left his money on the counter. In fact, a single bottle cost $2.43, so staff at the gas station called the State Police

why the fuck you'd call police for 43 cents?


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#11
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NecroFoul99
09/22/21 12:52:48 PM
#12:


PatrickMahomes posted...
If I was homeless, isn't jail the best place to go? Three meals a day, a bed, and a roof over your head.
Sure, go hide in a jail cell if you want. Many would still prefer their freedom, even in the winter.

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Compsognathus
09/22/21 12:52:50 PM
#13:


Questionmarktarius posted...
If anything, this is a decent argument for including sales tax in the shelf price.
It wasn't sales tax so much as a dumb bulk buy deal. They advertise 2 for $3. Guy assumes that means 1 is $1.50 and gives $2. When actually because he didn't get 2 he doesn't get the discount and has to pay the full price, which isn't covered by $2.

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ShyOx
09/22/21 12:52:58 PM
#14:


Questionmarktarius posted...
If anything, this is a decent argument for including sales tax in the shelf price.

Its not the sales tax, its that the deal is for two drinks at once. They do it with Gatorade here. Two Gatorade, 3.30. One Gatorade is like 2.40. Youre getting the second one for a dollar or whatever, I dont get it either. Moves units faster I guess

Yeah its silly

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shiby with it
09/22/21 12:53:05 PM
#15:


I don't think he should go to prison over this and I would like to think that the charges will be dropped, but why tf would you just leave the money on the counter? I would never even think to do that, for this exact reason. Did he really not have enough time to wait for a cashier? A little patience would have avoided this whole thing, as ridiculous as it is.

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EmbraceOfDeath
09/22/21 12:53:06 PM
#16:


Life in prison for whoever passed that moronic law.

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Blue_Inigo
09/22/21 12:53:52 PM
#17:


Imagine calling the cops over 43 cents

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monkmith
09/22/21 12:53:53 PM
#18:


PatrickMahomes posted...
If I was homeless, isn't jail the best place to go? Three meals a day, a bed, and a roof over your head.
guy in my area might have thought similarly. he was a schizophrenic and stole a candy bar. ended up in jail, and because the jail didn't want to handle his issues they let him starve to death...

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#19
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Questionmarktarius
09/22/21 12:54:36 PM
#20:


Compsognathus posted...
It wasn't sales tax so much as a dumb bulk buy deal. They advertise 2 for $3. Guy assumes that means 1 is $1.50 and gives $2. When actually because he didn't get 2 he doesn't get the discount and has to pay the full price, which isn't covered by $2.
That's why there's an actual transaction process, instead of just plopping two dollars on the counter and walking out.
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CoorsLight
09/22/21 12:55:42 PM
#21:


Why was he buying mountain dew in the first place? He could be saving that money for a home, or perhaps investing it in his crypto empire /s
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Accolon
09/22/21 12:56:03 PM
#22:


M_Live posted...
They called the police over 40 cents? Scumbags

And it's not even their 40 cents. It belongs to a billion dollar gas corporation

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Questionmarktarius
09/22/21 12:57:40 PM
#23:


How the hell is a bottle of Mtn Dew $2.43 anyway?

This seems obligatory.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPKGEizogzc
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monkmith
09/22/21 1:00:47 PM
#24:


M_Live posted...
They called the police over 40 cents? Scumbags
this really. there's often more then that in the "take a penny" tray.

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voldothegr8
09/22/21 1:02:31 PM
#25:


Ricemills posted...

why the fuck you'd call police for 43 cents?


I'm guessing this isn't the first time he shorted them and they had enough
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Ruvan22
09/22/21 1:04:10 PM
#26:


PatrickMahomes posted...
If I was homeless, isn't jail the best place to go? Three meals a day, a bed, and a roof over your head.
So you feel this is a good thing?
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CoorsLight
09/22/21 1:05:14 PM
#27:


Folks, this is bad. It's not hard. Man some people really tell on themselves so easily
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Machete
09/22/21 1:05:15 PM
#28:


Questionmarktarius posted...
If anything, this is a decent argument for including sales tax in the shelf price.


Not sales tax in this case. It's one of those "2 for X, 1 for regular price" deals. I agree with you on that premise though.
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Tyranthraxus
09/22/21 1:05:38 PM
#29:


This is literally Les Miserables

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HagenEx
09/22/21 1:09:11 PM
#30:


itachi15243 posted...
This is painfully sad to hear.

Just cut him a fucking break.

They did.

Twice.

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St0rmFury
09/22/21 1:09:23 PM
#31:


PatrickMahomes posted...
If I was homeless, isn't jail the best place to go? Three meals a day, a bed, and a roof over your head.

You underestimated the value of freedom.
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#32
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Looked gf
09/22/21 1:11:33 PM
#33:


murica

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Antifar
09/22/21 1:11:51 PM
#34:


HagenEx posted...
They did.

Twice.
Three months in jail and $860 in fines for $40 worth of shoes is not a break

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Turtlemayor333
09/22/21 1:15:32 PM
#35:


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SSJPurple
09/22/21 1:26:41 PM
#36:


itachi15243 posted...
This is painfully sad to hear.

Just cut him a fucking break.

Seriously. It seems like an honest mistake and over 43 cents like cmon

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Mist_Turnips
09/22/21 1:28:24 PM
#37:


Well he wouldn't be homeless anymore lol
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Questionmarktarius
09/22/21 1:28:42 PM
#38:


SSJPurple posted...
It seems like an honest mistake
Which never would have happened if he bothered to interact with a clerk.
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cardoor123
09/22/21 1:32:02 PM
#39:


Fair next, a harsh punishment is needed in this situation so people can actually learn a damn lesson for once. Besides the fact that this is the third time they have done something like this means it wasn't a simple accident.
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Despised
09/22/21 1:32:23 PM
#40:


Damn I have 2 strikes too, I gotta be more careful if I literally do anything I'm rekt
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Vicious_Dios
09/22/21 1:33:32 PM
#41:


Joseph Sobolewski was arrested on a felony charge under Pennsylvanias three strikes law for retail theft, according to court records, as he has two nonviolent theft convictions from many years earlier.

So... He's a repeat offender then. ( '-')

That's only counting the times he's been officially caught. So, not much else can be done for him.

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What_
09/22/21 1:34:13 PM
#42:


Its the police state fascist America the conservatives love
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Machete
09/22/21 1:38:23 PM
#43:


Post 39: "a guy should go to prison for years so that people learn a lesson about reading fine print and sale-related math."

Absolutely disgusting post. That user should be extremely ashamed.
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SSJPurple
09/22/21 1:39:55 PM
#44:


Questionmarktarius posted...
Which never would have happened if he bothered to interact with a clerk.

9/10 people seeing a 2 MTN Dews for $3 sign would assume $2 is enough for one especially if they were in a rush.

Yall defending this over 43 cents is kind of disgusting

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CoorsLight
09/22/21 1:47:26 PM
#45:


CE usually seems pretty left/liberal to me and when I see a topic like this play out I can't tell if the libs are just performative and people don't have a clue, or that these just bring more chuds out of the woodwork
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RchHomieQuanChi
09/22/21 1:47:38 PM
#46:


Employers steal more in wages and get a slap on the wrist.

Shameful.

Also anybody that's worked a cash register before could probably tell you that enough people have said "Keep the change" to offset 43 fucking cents.

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#47
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CADE FOSTER
09/22/21 1:50:06 PM
#48:


Blue_Inigo posted...
Imagine calling the cops over 43 cents
Capitalism is cancer
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Sad_Face
09/22/21 2:08:18 PM
#49:


PatrickMahomes posted...
If I was homeless, isn't jail the best place to go? Three meals a day, a bed, and a roof over your head.
Indeed. I have a neighbor who decided to leave the house due to his abusive landlord and go back to the streets. He ended up trying to rob a bank (while on crutches) to land himself behind bars.

But that's beside the point. The lad here in the article didn't have the intention of going to jail to find a good night's sleep. I know the cashier didn't want the unpaid money to come out of his pocket but really the cashier could have stood to overlook this transgression.

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Questionmarktarius
09/22/21 2:10:11 PM
#50:


Three-strikes and mandatory minimums are just the conservative analogue of feelgoodism legislation that doesn't actually accomplish anything.
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