79-cent Doughnut Theft Means $200 Fine For Criminal Justice Student Zack O'Dell

By Associated Press

POWELL, Wyo. –- A 19-year-old college student accused of swiping a doughnut in Wyoming is going to be paying a pretty penny for that pastry.

The Northwest Trail reports that Zach O'Dell has agreed to pay a $200 fine, $10 in court costs — and 79 cents to cover the cost of the doughnut.

O'Dell was accused of eating the treat in Blair's Market in Powell on Nov. 28 and leaving without paying for it. He was charged with shoplifting.

Attorney Sandra Kitchen says she has deferred the prosecution, and the charge will be dismissed in six months if O'Dell stays out of trouble.

The Trail reports that O'Dell declined to comment.

The Northwest College student has been studying criminal justice.

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Comments

[Tracee Collins]

10:06 AM on 01/31/2012

THAT'll teach him about getting sticky fingers!

[yahooserious]

08:26 PM on 01/27/2012

Good thing he didn't steal Round Rock donuts from Round Rock, Texas! They're worth far more.... Yum

[FreeSwingingSoul]

02:07 PM on 01/27/2012

How many tax dollars were wasted investigating and preparing the paperwork to prosecute this 79 cent crime? This dude's fine is 253% higher than the amount he stole. That's not "justice." That's government sponsored robbery, with the Powell, WY police department padding their budget figures with the booty.

To put this doughnut thief's punishment in perspective... Bernie Madoff stole $18 BILLION and ruined many lives financially. If Madoff's punishment had been the same as the doughnut thief (in terms of fine percentages), Madoff would have had to pay back $4.5 TRILLION in fines. That'd solve our country's deficit problem and get us out of this economic mess. So if outrageous fines like this are truly okay with our government, then lets not pick on doughnut theives. Let's pick on high dollar white collar criminals and get out of this economic mess.

But wait...the flaw in my plan is that the rich get off easy in the U.S. They are the privileged. Only poor students like Zach O'Dell get the full brunt of "justice."

[BoFo]

08:34 PM on 01/28/2012

"This dude's fine is 253% higher than the amount he stole."

Incorrect. It's 253 times higher, not 253% higher.

253% of 79 cents is $2.00.

[SuzDuJour]

08:23 PM on 01/30/2012

Do the crime, pay the fine. Do the crime, do the time.

(Bernie Madoff is also in prison for the rest of his life...)

[rockysparks]

09:31 PM on 01/26/2012

Damn! Whenever I read stories like this one, I end up going out on a midnight bakery department run ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUIh2U7hFAo

[stjoshy]

08:47 PM on 01/26/2012

Zach Odell?? no his name was Homer Simpson. officers on scene report that and when he was caught he exclaimed "Doh!"

[Pd9]

12:09 PM on 01/28/2012

"Doh!"-nut

[stjoshy]

08:45 PM on 01/26/2012

bahahahahha. does get to eat it at least? it would be one of those moments where you see the person sobbing with every delicious bite

[Pd9]

12:12 PM on 01/28/2012

He already did.
"O'Dell was accused of eating the treat in Blair's Market ..."

[Ex-Fed]

04:44 PM on 01/26/2012

Hopefully it was a valuable learning experience for him, you did say criminal justice student?

[nanaofmysky]

04:09 PM on 01/26/2012

Could it have been he just forgot. Maybe he was distracted with other things. Good thing it wasn't a Timmies, he would pay more than 79cents. Cheap donut. Glag that after 6 months the charge will be dropped. Don't think that would be to good for his law carreer.Total of $110.79 is one expensive donut.Hope it was a good one. LOL

[SpeakupNation]

03:49 PM on 01/26/2012

There is a Homer Simpson joke here somewhere waiting to be born

[ethelmertzrules]

02:46 PM on 01/26/2012

Hope it was a good doughnut.

[Robyn Singleton]

11:05 AM on 01/26/2012

Really?? They charged him for that??

[wevad2]

10:19 AM on 01/26/2012

You can leave out the ugh. It is spelled "donut".

[ethelmertzrules]

02:47 PM on 01/26/2012

are you the new spelling/grammar police?

[wevad2]

03:06 PM on 01/26/2012

When it comes to "journalism", yes, I think somebody should be policing them. Perhaps the police are too busy having donuts...

[emmeaki]

11:38 PM on 01/26/2012

I think that Dunkin' Donuts has made people forget the correct spelling. Doughnuts are made from DOUGH.

[wevad2]

03:22 PM on 01/27/2012

Wrong. It derives from a German word, not related to the dough. (What about the nut?) And, to the other person, I agree that both spellings currently are valid

[Veronix1617]

10:18 AM on 01/26/2012

A cautionary tale for those that love to "graze" at the supermarket. It's rude and ethically wrong to do it. And when you conveniently "forget" to pay, you end up getting into trouble with the law or at the very least are shamed from ever returning to that particular store.

[MOMMASAID]

09:50 AM on 01/26/2012

i live in south texas by the mexican border. i see parents and their children eating donuts, candy bars, whatever all the time...plus, i see people drinking milk or bottled drinks then put things on a shelve when they are done....and nothing happens to them...what ticks me off most is when people eat a handul of grapes while shopping and never pay for the grapes....

[acarioti]

09:46 AM on 01/26/2012

Kid eats donut and walks out without paying. This is news? They should have seen us teens in the '70s! HuffPost wuold have had a field day!