The FBI has taken a stand with this case. John Patrick Weismiller was just sentenced for shoplifting in Portland area retail stores and then selling the stolen goods on EBay. For 7 months he repeatedly stole from Safeway, Target and Best Buy taking pharmaceuticals, health and beauty and electronic items and stuffing them under his shirt. Normally this kind of shoplifting would be handled by local law enforcement, but because he was brazen, the U.S. Attorney and the FBI got involved. He ultimately stole over $73,000 in retail sales and turned it around to make about $43,000 for himself. He apparently had turned this into his full time job while he lived in a nice suburb with his family.
Many shoplifters don’t think they will get caught and don’t worry about going to jail over it. In this case, the U.S. government is trying to show that this is no small matter. Weismiller will not only spend time in jail, but also will then spend 3 years of supervised release and pay restitution of $21,000. He could definitely use a theft diversion class as well!
Weismiller’s behavior contributes to the increase in retail prices that consumers across the U.S. have continued to feel year after year. Retailers are forced to keep up with the over $30 billion a year in retail theft by padding prices to cover loss. In other words, one person’s behavior can tremendously affect our entire society.
In this case, it seems like the offender was trying to support his family by breaking the law. In many cases however, shoplifting is a psychological issue due to impulse control issues, depression, anger or vengeance. Theft education classes are available to help remedy this behavior. Participants focus on trying to figure out the root cause of their actions and learn diversion techniques to help overcome the struggle. They also learn about victim awareness and how to empathize with their victims and understand that their individual behavior greatly affects society as a whole.
Weismiller and those like him would definitely benefit from a 10-hour Theft Education Course online. This program in conjunction with his fines and jail time would really drive home why the behavior is unacceptable and should not be repeated. The online component is a highly satisfying way of learning the material.
Online theft classes provide clients with the ability to complete a theft class for self-improvement purposes or for a court order, in their own home. All it takes is prior approval from a judge, probation officer or attorney to take a distance learning class and the client can take the program at his or her own pace and at any time of the day or night. This allows the client to matriculate back into regular society by getting a job or going back to school without the worry of having to take time off to get to a predetermined classroom time. It also saves money on gas and additional time away from the family.
The goal of an online theft class is to teach clients why and how not to re-offend by changing their thinking and behavior. Take an online theft class to fulfill court requirements today!
