BANGOR, Maine — A local man who has prior theft charges on his record faces a felony count after trying to leave a supermarket without paying for a bottle of iced tea, according to police.
Sgt. Paul Edwards said authorities were dispatched to Hannaford on Union Street just after 1:30 p.m. Monday after Luke Stefanik, 32, took an iced tea bottle valued at $1.51 and didn’t pay for it.
Edwards said store security observed Stefanik walk down an aisle at the store, take the bottle and attempt to leave.
Stefanik was arrested and charged with theft, which was elevated to a felony because of a prior arrest for theft, the sergeant said.
Stefanik was taken to Penobscot County Jail and booked, and he remained there Tuesday morning, according to Edwards.
Stefanik also has a charge of unlawful possession of a scheduled drug on his record from 2011, according to Bangor Daily News archives.
Wonder what the thought process would be to justify stealing a bottle of ice tea.
Exactly. He had been caught before stealing but somehow this time believed that he would not get caught and that his prior record would not be held against him. The ability to think obviously is lacking in this individual.
Most criminals are caught because they are stupid. A friend who is a police officer once told me that sometimes its as easy as asking. “Did you steal this?” Invariably comes the answer, “Yes, That was me.”
And thats why lawyers tell you to never talk to the police for any reason if they start to question you about your role in anything illegal.
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Given the absolute regard of forward thinking by this guy I would guess that it might have been ¨Twisted Tea¨.
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There isnt much that is worth doing if the end result results in a felony charge.In this case this persons continued stealing has elevated this crime he is charged with to felony status.
Felony? This would mean prision time and this would cost the taxes payers a lot more than $1.51 so the best solution would be make him clean the bathrooms for a year at this Hanniford store.
Work off the punishment at Hannaford’s rest rooms? Cripes! He would then steal the toilet paper! Used or not!