Watch out for Federal Soda Refill Police

[brandyspaw]

I'm sure glad that the Federal Government has the resources to crack down on these dangerous drink refillers
even if they refuse to enforce the immigration laws in our country.  Heres a guy who was a construction worker at a VA hospital there and used the cafeteria. He apparently didn't know the drink refills weren't free and was issued a $525 fine by Federal Police there for his mistake.  The fine was eventually dropped to a warning but he lost his construction job at the hospital because of it.

Source:
 http://www.live5news.com/story/25269079/man-hit-with-525-federal-fine-after-he-doesnt-pay-for-soda-refill

CHARLESTON COUNTY, SC (WCSC) - Officials with the VA Medical Center in downtown Charleston say a North Charleston man who was initially federally charged with a $525 fine for an $.89 drink refill will instead be given a warning. "In reviewing the case, the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center has determined a warning in lieu of a citation is sufficient in this case," a statement released by the VA stated on Thursday.

Christopher Lewis, an on-site construction worker, said he didn't know refills at the VA Medical Center in downtown Charleston came at a price, and Wednesday, during his lunch hour, he was originally slapped with federal charges. The ticket was issued by the Federal Police Force at the VA Medical Center in downtown Charleston after Lewis refilled his soda without paying the $0.89. A hospital spokesperson on Wednesday called it a "theft of government property."

"Every time I look at the ticket, it's unbelievable to me,” Lewis said on Wednesday. “I can't fathom the fact that I made a $0.89 mistake that cost me $525."

Lewis is now out of a job. According to a hospital spokesperson, signs are posted in the cafeteria informing patrons that refills aren't free. Lewis says he never noticed the signs and admits he had refilled his drink without paying on other occasions. He says after he went back for seconds on Wednesday, a man who identified himself as the chief of police, stopped him.

"As I was filling my cup up, I turned to walk off and a fella grabbed me by the arm and asked me was I going to pay for that, and I told him I wasn't aware that I had to pay for that." Lewis says he tried to pay the $0.89 right there, but wasn't allowed to. He says he wasn't given the chance to pay the cashier either. "I never had an option to make right what I had done wrong." He says he was taken to a room, given the $525 ticket for shoplifting and told not to return to the property.

"I'm done there, at the VA hospital. I'm not allowed to go on the premises anymore. I asked him can I still work on the job site and just bring my lunch and not got to the cafeteria and he said he wanted me off the premises." A hospital spokesperson says it was her understanding that Lewis was aggressive during the confrontation.

The medical center originally released the following statement on Wednesday:
The Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center is fortunate to have a highly trained Federal police force to ensure the safety of our patients, visitors and employees. As Federal police they are responsible for enforcing the law. Today a Federal citation was issued for shoplifting in the VA cafeteria to an individual who stated to VA police he had not paid for refills of beverages on multiple occasions, even though signs are posted in the cafeteria informing patrons refills are not free. Shoplifting is a crime. The dollar amount of the ticket is not determined by VA as it is a Federal citation. The citation may be paid or the recipient may choose to appear in Federal court to contest it.

Lewis and his fiancé have contacted the Internal Affairs Office in Columbia. He says he will contest the fine in federal court.  "It's about pretty much I guess you would say getting your face back. I want everybody to know that I made a simple mistake, that I'm not a thief, that I'm not dishonest. I'm trying to do the right thing."

[ArizonaGunOwners.com]

[870policemag]

  *Drops water cup filled with illegal sprite

[Feud]

The important take away from this is that we finally have a federal answer on the longstanding soda/pop/coke debate.

Cheers for the republic! *lifts soda*

[coyotesfan97]

The key phrase here is "Chief of Police" 

[870policemag]

I think that the writer meant for that term to be interpreted like fashion police. I wouldn't take offense to it.

[Feud]

The key phrase here is "Chief of Police" 

From the website, it looks like they have multiple "Chiefs" of police, even multiple in a region.  Having no experience with them, I'm guessing it's sort of a facility or divisional title.

http://www.osp.va.gov/Police_Services.asp

[coyotesfan97]

Oh no offense taken by it. Merely some pondering by a street cop.

[ItWasntMe]

*Drops water cup filled with illegal sprite

Yah, same. 

[louie the lumberjack]

I can't say I'm surprised. 

Just a quick PSA...VA Police are like college campus police...bored.  Very, very bored. So if you find yourself at one, do yourself a favor and drive the speed limit.

louie the lumberjack

[Thernlund]

"Every time I look at the ticket, it's unbelievable to me,” Lewis said on Wednesday. “I can't fathom the fact that I made a $0.89 mistake that cost me $525."

Speeding on an empty freeway at 3am is free, and that can get you an even bigger fine.

Shoplifting at Sears can get you thousands in fines and jail time.

Seen purely as shoplifting, the dollar amount of the item shoplifted matters not.  The act is what matters. 

As well, should retail shoplifters be given the opportunity to pay for the item they attempted to steal when they get caught in lieu of calling the cops?  Hm?  Maybe they were making a simple mistake when they took that $0.89 pair of cheap earrings.

...he was originally slapped with federal charges.

He was issued a citation.  That's not "charges".   

I must say that that particular little word-swap is quickly becoming one of my biggest pet-peeves.  Hooray for journalistic integrity. 

...

My gut says that he was made an example of.  Construction workers continually jacking the soda, someone on site there finally gets aggravated enough, someone decides to make an example of him.

However, the ticketing official should have known better.  Stupid stuff like this makes the news all the time.  What they should have done, what I'd have done, is simply start barring them from the cafeteria all together.  Problem solved.

Speculation on my part though, of course.  I don't know what happend.  This could be a terrible miscarriage of justice.  Who knows. 



-T.

[Wyatt Earp]

Actually citations are charges.  It's called citation in lieu of detention.  In plain English, we wrote you a ticket because it takes too long to book you for something penny ante like this.

[Thernlund]

You know what I mean though.  The tone behind "federal charges" has an entirely different meaning than "was cited".  It's an important distinction in the mind of the public that they (the press) know very well and choose to ignore anyway in order to whip up emotion.  It grates on my nerves.


-T.

[Feud]

I bought a couple water bottles from the Senate gift shop last summer, I was federally charged $14. 

 

[ArizonaGunOwners.com]