A couple of months ago my wife and a couple friends went mountain biking at Schaeffer Farms in MD. (I was out of town.) They went to eat a a nearby strip mall afterwards, and when they got out two of the bikes were missing off the back of my friends car. One of the bikes was an especially nice carbon fiber Cannondale lefty that the friend had saved up for during deployments. It cost around $6000.
Since it was such an unusual bike we spent time checking Craig’s list and ebay to see if it would turn up. It was eventually discovered at a fairly distant pawn shop with 2 of the digits of the serial number conveniently swapped. They guy who brought it in got $250 for it. The cops moved in, my friend got her bike back and she is out riding again. All in all a happy ending, except for the guy who brought the bike to the pawn shop.
Sentencing for the dude was yesterday. He said that “two kids” gave him the bike, but the judge was not amused by that bs story.
But 10 years for stealing someones unlocked bike off the back of their car, a non-violent crime of opportunity? Damn. No wonder my Maryland taxes are so high. Gotta pay for all the prisons.
But 10 years for stealing someones unlocked bike off the back of their car, a non-violent crime of opportunity? Damn. No wonder my Maryland taxes are so high. Gotta pay for all the prisons.
Have you heard about Metro Police’s latest attempt to arrest people who commit crimes of opportunity? Theyve been leaving unlocked bikes at high crime Metro stations and waiting for someone to try and steal it. Only catch is theyve been using a $3000 trek so that they can charge people with more serious crimes.
I lived in DC before MD, so you don’t need to remind me. At least in DC my taxes paid for free top notch pools in addition to all the overzealous bike thief prosecution:).
I’m glad the scum bag was caught and punished. I’m sure this wasn’t his first crime and probably has a record longer than an IM bike course which justified giving him 10 years.
As a DC resident who has had bikes stolen before, I’m extremely thankful for this program. It seems if you don’t catch someone in the act there is virtually no punishment for bike thievery (well, except for OP’s thief obviously). I’ve actually considered doing it myself–just propped my bike up at the DCUSA bike stand and sitting across the street waiting for some punk to take off with it. Probably best for all involved the police do it instead of me…
But 10 years for stealing someones unlocked bike off the back of their car, a non-violent crime of opportunity? Damn. No wonder my Maryland taxes are so high. Gotta pay for all the prisons.
Have you heard about Metro Police’s latest attempt to arrest people who commit crimes of opportunity? Theyve been leaving unlocked bikes at high crime Metro stations and waiting for someone to try and steal it. Only catch is theyve been using a $3000 trek so that they can charge people with more serious crimes.
I think I’ve seen one of them at the Crystal City metro station. I’m pretty sure it was a Trek SC 7.0 and it stopped me in my tracks that someone would leave such an expensive bike at the Metro.
As a DC resident who has had bikes stolen before, I’m extremely thankful for this program. It seems if you don’t catch someone in the act there is virtually no punishment for bike thievery (well, except for OP’s thief obviously). I’ve actually considered doing it myself–just propped my bike up at the DCUSA bike stand and sitting across the street waiting for some punk to take off with it. Probably best to use a low light scope and subsonic ammunition…
Agree that ten years is a long time for a bike theft however this person likely had a lengthy prior record to justify such a term. In Texas this would qualify as a State Jail Felony with a punishment range up to 2 years in State Jail served day for day. But if he had prior pen time he could be enhanced to a 3rd or 2nd degree felony.
It can be considered Grand Theft Auto considering the bicycle is a vehicle and subject to vehicular law. It is a very serious crime, as my idiot roommate’s friend found out… Tried to steal a shitty 150 dollar fixed gear and instead got hit with a 50000 dollar bail (which his parents paid of course, stupid Asian parents) and having to take leave of school. Could have bought a ton of bikes for that. There’s a whole funny story to that, but I won’t go into detail
But 10 years for stealing someones unlocked bike off the back of their car, a non-violent crime of opportunity? Damn. No wonder my Maryland taxes are so high. Gotta pay for all the prisons.
Yes, you’re quite right. We should just slap him on the wrist and let him go.
Maryland theft $1000 - $10,000 is 10 years and/or $10,000 fine. For them to go the jail route, there were probably other considerations, as others have said.
Good deal on getting the bike back—pawn shops are legalized theft—$250 for the bike!!! That’s they way they work though…
And was it 10 years to SERVE or a 10 year sentence with 9 years (or some portion) suspended time?? Either way I’m sure there was a record and the BS story to tweak the judge!
As for using an expensive bike at the metro—since you silly other states/DC have such high levels dollar values for felonies that’s what they must do----here in VA we can put out a beater----only has to be $200…
Did the guy rob a bank while riding the stolen bike?!
Glad they caught the guy and you got the bike back but 10 years in the slammer…doesn’t seem to be an efficient way to spend tax payer $$$
x2
Punishment doesn’t fit the crime. How much would you get for driving drunk and killing someone? Because if it’s not 10x what you’d get for lifting someone’s bike in a non-violent manner, something is seriously out of whack.
Punishment doesn’t fit the crime. How much would you get for driving drunk and killing someone? Because if it’s not 10x what you’d get for lifting someone’s bike in a non-violent manner, something is seriously out of whack.
And to think, he could have run over the girl, killed her and trashed the bike, to only get a ticket!
10 years is pretty stiff in my opinion as well. However… it is pretty simple. Don’t be a thief and stiff penalties won’t be an issue for you personally. Or check out the penal code before you make your move and be prepared for the consequences.
He got off light considering what happened to this bike thief…
An angry mob in Kossala, Kumba, Thursday, February 23 beat and burnt to death a certain Njoh Tabi after he stole a commercial motorcycle (benskin) from a rider identified only as Serge.
