Shoplifting Mom Must Write Letter to Kids, Judge Rules
An Ohio woman who plead guilty to using her children to help her steal from a Walmart store was ordered by the judge in her case to write a letter to her kids explaining that stealing was wrong.
Hallie Thomas, 36, of Logan, Ohio was caught on surveillance camera with her two daughters in March at a local Walmart concealing items in a clothes hamper, reports The Logan Daily News. When Thomas and her daughters attempted to leave the store, they were stopped by police.
Turned out this wasn't the first time Thomas and her daughters had been caught on camera stealing from the store.
Previous Shoplifting Incident Also Captured by Surveillance Camera
Thomas and her two daughters had previously been witnessed shoplifting from the same Walmart in February. Video footage of the incident reportedly showed Thomas and her daughters entering the store wearing dark coats, but exiting the store wearing different coats. The surveillance cameras also captured the girls concealing merchandise under their coats.
Thomas was originally charged with two counts of petty theft, two counts of contributing to the unruliness or delinquency of a child, and two counts of child endangerment. In a plea deal with prosecutors, Thomas agreed to plead guilty to one charge of petty theft and one count of child endangerment.
Plea Deal
Many criminal cases are resolved through a plea bargain, in which the defendant agrees to plead guilty to a lesser charge in exchange for the dismissal of other charges or a more lenient sentence. In this case, Thomas was sentenced to a $300 fine on each charge, 10 days in jail, two years of probation, and several other restrictions.
In addition, the judge ordered Thomas to write a letter to her children, explaining what she did and why stealing is wrong. In addition to giving the letter to her children, Thomas was ordered to provide a copy to both the court and the probation department.
Related Resources:
- Shoplifting Mom Ordered to Explain to Her Kids Why Stealing is Wrong (The Wall Street Journal)
- Judge to Mean Mom: No Posting About Kids on Facebook (FindLaw's Legally Weird)
- Mom Gets Son Arrested for Stealing Her Pop-Tarts (FindLaw's Legally Weird)
- Ancient Rock-Pushers Avoid Prison in Plea Deal (FindLaw's Legally Weird)
