Sticky fingers Catholic Priest with long history of shoplifting... charged with a felony

[moobu2]

You might remember this character because I've posted on DU a while back about his previous theft activity. Maybe they can make him their Saint of the Clepto's or something. In any case somebody needs to reread their 10 commandments.

Southern Illinois priest again accused of shoplifting

ST. LOUIS — A southern Illinois Roman Catholic priest already on probation for shoplifting butter and a sofa cover now faces a felony theft charge linked to his alleged attempt to pilfer a $28 pipe-smoker's ashtray from an antique store.

Prosecutors in Illinois' St. Clair County charged the Rev. Steven Poole with retail theft on Thursday, three days after police say he walked out of the Keil's Antiques and Gifts in Belleville, Ill., with the green ashtray. The store's owner and another employee followed Poole's PT Cruiser, then summoned officers who arrested the clergyman.

Such cases would usually be tried as a misdemeanor, given that the ashtray is worth far less than the $300 threshold loss that traditionally would make the case a felony. But prosecutors upgraded the charge to a felony because Poole is a repeat offender.

Poole pleaded guilty in March in Illinois' Franklin County to retail theft charges and was sentenced to two years of probation for trying to make off with $3.22 worth of butter and a $60 sofa cover he failed to scan at a Walmart's self-service checkout. Police also said Poole changed a price tag bar code on a memory-foam mattress from $144.88 to $30.88 to get the lower price.

Read the rest of the story here

[47of74]

1. Sigh

:sarcasm: The priesthood attracts some of the finest candidates out there. :sarcasm:

[NMMNG]

2. Perhaps he should pray to St. Nicholas

He is the patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers and thieves (among many others).

[MADem]

3. Geez, I wonder if his nickname is "Pocket" Poole?

Sorry, couldn't resist....

[humblebum]

4. And all this time I thought Sticky Fingaz was an atheist.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirk_Jones

[darkstar3]

5. Everyone replying below this line has been successfully trolled.

-----------------------------------------------

[humblebum]

6. And I just hate being trolled like that. will it ever stop? nt

[struggle4progress]

7. Retail theft is a very common crime:

... There are approximately 27 million shoplifters (or 1 in 11 people) in our nation today. More than 10 million people have been caught shoplifting in the last five years ...
http://www.shopliftingprevention.org/WhatNASPOffers/NRC/PublicEducStats.htm

[trotsky]

8. It sure is.

After being told for centuries how one needs religion to be moral, it's always interesting seeing these stories. Considering how many people still believe atheists are morally inferior, I think reports like this should be spread far and wide. It might just help dispel some of the bigotry that non-believers face on a daily basis. What do you think?

[struggle4progress]

9. There are about 5500 arrests every day for shoplifting, if the statistics in my link upthread are

correct. The vast majority of cases will get little or no coverage, as shown below by my list of 24-hour hits from Google News (involving 21 people in the US)

Wikipedia says there are about 41K Catholic priests in the US. I have no notion what the actual shoplifting statistics, for that group, might be: if they shoplifted, at the same rate as the US public, one might expect about 3700 of them to be shoplifters; if they were caught shoplifting, at the same rate as the US public, one might expect about 5 to be arrested every week for shoplifting.

Man arrested after allegedly stealing Four Loko, jumping on bike
Posted: Nov 14, 2011 11:00 AM EST Updated: Nov 14, 2011 11:00 AM EST
MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) Myrtle Beach Police have arrested a man after he allegedly stole two cans of Four Loko and then tried to flee on a bicycle Friday evening ... http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/16033849/man-arrested-after-allegedly-stealing-four-loko-jumping-on-bike

Man attempts to shoplift beer, chicken at Walmart
Posted: Nov 13, 2011 11:32 AM EST Updated: Nov 13, 2011 3:48 PM EST
MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) Myrtle Beach Police have arrested one man for shoplifting various items from a Myrtle Beach Walmart Saturday, including a whole cooked chicken ... http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/16027749/man-attempts-to-shoplift-beer-chicken-at-wal-mart

Gilroy police arrest two over alleged shoplifting
Sunday, November 13, 2011
GILROY, Calif. -- Gilroy police arrested two people on Saturday suspected of shoplifting beer from a Super Save Market ... http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/south_bay&id=8430295

Southern Illinois priest again accused of shoplifting
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Posted Nov 13, 2011 @ 02:00 PM
ST. LOUIS — A southern Illinois Roman Catholic priest already on probation for shoplifting butter and a sofa cover now faces a felony theft charge linked to his alleged attempt to pilfer a $28 pipe-smoker's ashtray from an antique store ... http://www.rrstar.com/updates/x574923157/Southern-Illinois-priest-again-accused-of-shoplifting

Burlington Police log, Oct. 31-Nov. 5
Wicked Local Burlington
Posted Nov 13, 2011 @ 10:37 AM
Wednesday, Nov 2 ... 8:58 p.m. Police responded to a report from Trader Joe’s on Middlesex Turnpike that a shoplifter was being detained ...
Thursday, Nov. 3 ... 1:55 p.m. A caller reported a shoplifting in progress at Michael Kors on Middlesex Turnpike ... 5:23 p.m. Police responded to a report of a shoplifter at Crossroads Plaza on Cambridge Street ...
Friday, Nov. 4 ... 11:53 a.m. Police responded to a report of a possible shoplifter in Sears on Middlesex Turnpike ...
Saturday, Nov. 5 ... 3:54 p.m. Kohl’s Department store on Lexington Street reported two 16-year-old female shoplifters were being detained, identified and released to family member ... 4:40 p.m. Macy’s security reported a female may have placed stolen items from the store in the trunk of her motor vehicle ... http://www.wickedlocal.com/burlington/highlight/x1691084059/Burlington-Police-log-Oct-31-Nov-5

Car Thefts and Break-ins Continue
Frustrated by residents leaving cars unlocked, police issue a list of crime prevention tips.
By Laura Griffin
November 13, 2011
... The Millburn Police Department responded to Saks Fifth Avenue at The Mall at Short Hills on Nov. 11 at 3:58 p.m., where the store’s loss prevention personnel had detained suspect for shoplifting ... http://millburn.patch.com/articles/car-thefts-and-break-ins-continue

Published: Nov 14, 2011
Shoplifters leave kids at walmart
A couple forgot their children as they raced from a Walmart after shoplifting a cellphone and makeup, reports Louisville, Kentucky local news ... http://www.postchronicle.com/news/strange/article_212389860.shtml

SoBo woman charged with grand larceny
08:07 am 11/14/11
A 36-year-old South Boston woman faces a charge of grand larceny, according to South Boston Cpl. W. M. Garner. Keisha Spencer was charged with shoplifting from Walmart ... http://www.gazettevirginian.com/index.php/news/34-news/4371-sobo-woman-charged-with-grand-larceny

Cops Arrest 2 Women After Fleeing Scene of Alleged Supermarket Theft
Pair fled in a vehicle reported stolen
By Joseph M. Gerace
Email the author
10:15am
Cops nabbed a pair of women they say lifted $180 worth of baby formula and fled from the Food Basics on Lincoln Avenue in a car that had been reported stolen ... http://glenrock.patch.com/articles/cops-arrest-2-women-after-fleeing-scene-of-alleged-theft

Clark Police Blotter
Monday, November 14, 2011
... Nov. 1 at 8:04 p.m. – Officer Daniel Joy arrested Iris Gonzalez, 41, at her home on Seaton Avenue in Roselle Park, and charged her with shoplifting at the Shop-Rite Supermarket at 76 Central Avenue ...
Nov. 4 at 9:06 p.m. – At Shop-Rite Supermarket, 76 Central Avenue, Officer Pedro Oliveira arrested Edison resident Katelyn Lee, 37, and charged her with shoplifting ...
http://njtoday.net/2011/11/14/clark-police-blotter-71/

20 Weekend Arrests for Salem Police
Friday, Nov. 11
John Anthony DiGiulio, 27, of 126 Adams St. in Lynn was arrested on two warrants as well as on charges of shoplifting, malicious destruction of property $250 or less and larceny by false pretense ...
... Megan Lynch, 27, of 126 Adams St. in Lynn was arrested on charges of shoplifting and larceny by false pretense ...
... Justin McKay, 30, of 7 Chase St. in Lynn was arrested on a shoplifting charge ... http://salem.patch.com/articles/20-weekend-arrests-for-salem-police-2fa65d27

[trotsky]

10. That's nice.

Can you answer my question?

Thanks!