HALLOWELL, Maine — Police say a man attending his son’s basketball game at an elementary school went to the cafeteria and stole $40 in student lunch money.
Police say 46-year-old Christopher Cope of Dresden told them that he needed the money to buy kerosene to heat his home.
Authorities say Cope was at the Hall-Dale Elementary School in Hallowell on Jan. 4 for the high school game when he went to the kitchen area and took the money.
Police told the Kennebec Journal that school employees noticed the money was missing on Monday. Cope was identified through video surveillance and charged Tuesday.
He has been summoned to court next month to face theft charges.
It was not clear if he has a lawyer.
This is so sad.
A police record for $40.00? He should be a shamed for what his son will go through at school. Must be looking for father of the year.
“It was not clear if he has a lawyer”. if needs to steal 40 bucks , good luck with the lawyer.
“If you can’t afford a lawyer, one will be appointed to you by the state”
Simple Miranda rights.
The article was referring to the man’s current situation, if he had a lawyer now, not if he will have a lawyer once he gets before a judge.
Simple rule of law, spanky.
What is he? Butch from the Little Rascals or Buddy Hinton all grown up?
We have to live our lives as if we were on video surveillance 24/7.
Why was this money not locked down somewhere…..like a desk, the principals office??….. I don’t know about other schools, but where I live all monies get turned into the office, where the person responsible, deposits it in the school account at the bank. There has to be a paper trail and accountability for all money the school handles.
Just HOW did Mr. Cope KNOW there was money in the cafeteria and WHERE it was??
And to the governor: THIS is what happens when the LIHEAP program gets the cuts that it did. You need to help the poor in this state, so they don’t have to resort to something such as this!!
If you believe that he took the money for oil do I have a deal for you.I will sell you the Narrows bridge in Prospect all for $100.00. And the LIHEAP funds was cut in Washington and not Augusta.
I KNOW the LIHEAP cuts were in Washington……but who says LePage can’t step up to the plate and help his own state??
And he does that by………raising taxes or cutting more services elsewhere. Yea, that’s a win-win situation.
Taxes are always going to go up, might as well put some money where it’s needed….like the LIHEAP program. I take it you’ve never had to scrape to get by……wonder where you’re going to get some help putting oil in your barrel, cuz you don’t make enough money to pay your bills, rent/mortgage…..
Oh, I scrape by, month to month on a fixed income! But, we live WITHIN that income. We’ve adjusted, cut back and become more aware of what we need vs. want. My income would be higher if the taxes didn’t already take so much, but what the heck…it’s the price we choose to pay to live in this country. But to steal $40 from a school!! Come on, that’s just a low-life.
I agree!
The state is out of money.Just where do you propose the money comes from?
The generosity of good neighbors like you????? Start a fundraiser….be productive, instead of being negative.
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I have, too!
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Why dont you make a donation and stop spending my money!!!
How do you know I HAVEN’T made a donation? I have received help from the LIHEAP program, yes…..BUT, I work (full time!) and am still eligible for the program. I am a “pay it forward” kind of person. I have received, but I also pay back, when I can, however I can!
Wait a minute……Stop spending your money on HEATING OIL??? At least I’m not a druggie spending YOUR money on SUBOXONE or METHADONE and GAS MILEAGE to get back and forth to the clinic!!
There you go, throwing facts into the argument!
Needed it for Kerosine? Bet dollars to donuts that this guy spends at least $40 a week on cigarettes and beer.
LMAO!! A week???? Where I work, ppl spend that in a DAY!
Exactly my point. If he needed money for K-1, don’t buy cigarettes for a couple of days. Or don’t buy a few six packs this week. Or how about canceling your cable TV. Or how about canceling your cell phone. Lots of luxuries to cut before resorting to stealing.
Well put.I see so many folks whining about needing money for medicine or heating fuel or grammies iron lung while puffing on ciggys and talking on their phone.Should be clear,but I guess not…
Just how do you KNOW the man is lying?? How do you KNOW he drinks, smokes, has a cell or cable TV? Without knowing the FACTS, don’t ASSUME he is lying!!
I take it back. He just spent his last $$ on bibles for the kids and giving to starving kids with Sally Struthers. He is obviously a saint and should be praised for his theft.
OMG!! Talk about going from one extreme to another! I’m not saying what he did was right. He broke the law….he stole. What I’m saying is, unless you know him, don’t assume to know what he spends his money on!
sar·casm [sahr-kaz-uhm]
noun
1.harsh or bitter derision or irony.
2.a sharply ironical taunt
Right back atcha! :P
You obviously have a very limited reading ability. Which explains your political views.
My reading abilities are none of your concern. And everybody is entitled to their own political views. You don’t have to agree with mine and I don’t have to agree with yours.
How do you KNOW that this admitted THIEF was telling the truth about why he needed the money?
How do you know he wasn’t?
Or most importantly Drugs!
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1-877-JOE-4-OIL
Good luck getting through!
Beats jail.
He was summonsed, not arrested. He will probably end up paying restitution and court costs.
Okay, let me rephrase it then: Beats paying restitution and court costs.
LOL!! True!
It took my inlaws a whole day of calling non stop to get through.. However they had the app with in 3 days and their voucher for 100 gallons of fuel with in 2 weeks. Mr. Joe and Citgo are very generous. Most people are very thankful this program is around. :)
Yup, Good Old Joe Chavez…I mean KENNEDY. Joe KENNEDY.
Hey atleast someone is willing to help, and give FREE oil to anyone who calls and qualifys for it. Joe Chavez, Joe Kennedy. call him what you want. there are over 200,000 ppl that have benefited from .. about $400 worth of oil ..
Righto Roy. It’s perfectly fine to slurp up to any military dictator for a few drops of their oil, right?
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If the communist that is actually supplying the oil had compassion, he would have allowed his country to have an election LONG before now and he would have stopped murdering his own citizens for speaking out against him.
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We have mock elections here.
LOL.
A Kennedy is never doing something just because it’s “nice”. Old Joe probably gets a nice cushy check from Joe-4-OIL.
Ever try calling that number. Not easy to get through.
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Yes, we do. And it feels good, too! :)
hhmmm…this did not post where it was supposed to! It was supposed to go below goldenrule’s post of 10:28 this morning…..
WHAT A SHAME that for the sake of this child the name was not withheld or that the school didnt go the the father in private and find a solution or quietly had him charged or even have the police involved and made an agreement that he would not come back to the school property and needs to pay the money back…this is so sad for the child. shame on Bangor Daily News for even printing the names….yes your here to repoirt news but think of this poor kid u just destroyed him in school as bad as his father did.
Yes the school is at much to blame as the father for what this kid has to go through. School do not have a problem spending $1600 on laptops . Couldn’t the find cheap netbooks for like $200. Schools steal much more money from taxpayers than this guy did.
Let’s withhold the name of all criminals, then, why don’t we? And hold trials behind closed doors so that other family members do not feel the shame and embarrassment of what their loved ones have done. Let’s return to the time of the star chambers while we’re at it!
Do you not understand that society only functions to the extent that we each individually are held personally accountable for our actions? Perhaps Dad, the next time he goes to steal something, will refrain from doing so if he reflects on how his actions will harm his family.
I would like the newspapers to report if he has any prior criminal history. I’d wager he does.
I do not totally disagree with you, but this is not a violent crime and was headlined to grab attention and BDN it worked ” stole lunch money” almost sounded like he robbed a kid…until you read the article. No it was not right, no we should not withhold names, no we should not protect the children of criminals, (I guess)
but seems to me that when you have a young child in this school it is simply sad to have this child teased and tormented for his fathers actions when in “this particular” case I think with holding a name could be alright
after all we had a maine state trooper charged with OUI and still do not know what he blew for a oui result. and we had a pervert jump off a bridge who happen to be a minister and that story had many of hush hushes, so maybe not names but we do with hold some things…as well when a woman is raped we do not publish her name, this child has been raped of his school year and innocence…nice work dad and BDN
And the Father of the year award goes too!!!!! Drum Roll Please
MUST BE LEPAGE”S FAULT.
Somehow.
$40.00 – certainly not worth the shame and embarrassment his son will feel.
Geez. Stay classy.