Justice. Missouri style.
Score one for the forces of law and order in Farmington, Missouri.
Then one man’s sweet tooth got the better of him. He stole a doughnut. A single doughnut.
Authorities called it strong-arm robbery. The “doughnut man,” as the suspect is now known, faces five to 15 years in prison for his crime. And Farmington, a town of 14,000 people about 70 miles south of St. Louis, has been buzzing about it ever since.
Five to fifteen for stealing a doughnut. Oops, sorry he’s got priors, it gets worse:
Scott A. Masters, 41, is accused of shoplifting the pastry and pushing a store worker who tried to stop him. The worker was unhurt. But with that shove, his shoplifting turned into a strong-arm robbery. Masters, who appeared in court Friday, is stunned. The prosecutor shows no signs of backing down. In fact, because Masters has a prior record, he could get a sentence of 30 years to life.
He seems like your regular small-town-felon douchebag. I’m not saying he should get life without parole, but he has form.
Yeah, Scotty is well known,” said Deputy Sheriff Dennis Smith, reviewing Masters’ criminal history.
Masters, who lives in the nearby town of Park Hills, has been arrested more than a dozen times: for being drunk, for shoplifting, for missed court dates, for marijuana possession. He spent most of the 1990s and a stretch from 2000 to 2004 in state prison for the felonies of torching a car to collect insurance and possessing methamphetamine ingredients.
Actually, he looks like he’s in serious trouble - third time felony conviction, three strikes, etc..
After his arrest, he forgot all about the case. He assumed it had been dismissed. He spent the summer in jail on outstanding warrants. Just before he was to get out, he was indicted Sept. 14 in the doughnut case. His bail was set at $25,000 — well beyond his means.
Masters briefly appeared in court Friday. His case was continued until next month. He is shaken by the possibility of a third felony conviction. A prosecutor could pursue an enhanced sentence. As a persistent offender, Masters could face a murderer’s term.
“I can’t believe this crap,” Masters said.
Crime does not pay.
Hardcore Conservative says:
The reason the guy is in so much trouble isn’t because he stole a doughnut it’s because he assaulted an employee