Photo via: S Khan/Flickr
A man from Spencer, Massachusetts, was sentenced to prison today for a shrimp theft that went badly. The 38-year-old, named John Pinard, tried to steal around $300 worth of frozen shrimp last year from a local Price Chopper supermarket. The store manager, Thomas Bourassa, informed authorities that he confronted Pinard after noticing the man’s actions seemed a bit… suspicious.
Bourassa stated that after seeing Pinard fill bags with shrimp and try to leave without paying, he tried to stop the shrimp thief from exiting the store. Assistant District Attorney Joseph A. Simmons mentioned that an enraged Pinard reacted by hitting Mr. Bourassa multiple times with a shopping cart and then threatened to stab him and another worker with a needle if they didn’t back away.
Mr. Simmons explained that Pinard then abandoned the sprimp heist in favor of stealing a radio communication device from Bourassa and then fleeing the scene in a Ford Explorer. Unfortunately for Pinard however, not only did he leave the shrimp behind, he also accidentally left a pill bottle on the scene- which happened to be labeled with his name. He was found hiding in his girlfriend’s closet shortly after the incident and taken into custody.
Pinard pled guilty in a Worcester Superior Court on charges of armed robbery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (the shopping cart) and assault and battery. His lawyer revealed during the trial that Pinard has struggled with drug addiction issues since he was a teen.
Judge Kenton-Walker sentenced the shrimp thief to 3 to 5 years in state prison, with 2 years of probation to follow. Under the terms of his probation, Pinard was ordered to undergo a substance abuse evaluation and any related treatment recommended by the Probation Department, consent to random drug testing, and stay away from the Price Chopper. Pinard was given credit for time served since his arrest last June.