Homeless Pennsylvania Man Faces 7 Years In Prison Over 43 Cent Soda Theft

Ad Blocker Detected

Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors. Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker.

Homeless Pennsylvania Man Faces 7 Years In Prison Over 43 Cent Soda Theft

A homeless male faces up to 7 years in prison right after failing to pay back 43 cents for a bottle of Mountain Dew in Pennsylvania very last thirty day period.

PennLive experiences Joseph Sobolewski, 38, went into a advantage shop in Perry County in August to buy a bottle of soda. The marketed value of the Mountain Dew was two for $3. Sobolewski paid $2 for a single bottle and walked out. The selling price for a solitary bottle, nonetheless, was $2.29 additionally tax, that means he was 43 cents quick.

The publication additional that the retailer named the law enforcement on Sobolewski, who was arrested and billed with a felony below the state’s “three strikes law” for retail theft. He experienced been convicted far more than a decade in the past for a theft and in 2011 for thieving a pair of sneakers.

The legislation doesn’t acquire into account the benefit of the item in the third theft demand.

A felony docket reveals Sobolewski was arrested as he awaited trial since he was unable to article a $50,000 dollars bond. The bond was later on modified to be “unsecured” immediately after an attraction by his public defender, indicating Sobolewski was in a position to be introduced without the need of giving revenue to the courtroom, while the sum remains the similar.

PennLive famous that it is unclear if the demand will maintain — the regulation needs evidence that the theft was an intentional criminal offense alternatively than a misunderstanding about the comprehensive value of an item.

A initially retail theft offense is a summary, akin to a dashing ticket, a next offense is a misdemeanor and subsequent offenses are categorized as third-diploma felonies. Pennsylvania’s The Sentinel newspaper notes other third-degree felonies contain involuntary manslaughter, institutional sexual assault and carrying a gun without a license.

Contacting all HuffPost superfans!

Indicator up for membership to grow to be a founding member and assist form HuffPost’s future chapter