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| Rex E. Chapman (credit Maricopa County Sheriff) |
Scottsdale,
AZ—Rex Chapman, 46 had a great 12-year NBA basketball career Playing for the
Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets.
In 2006, he served as the vice
president of player personnel for the Denver Nuggets. Today he’s employed TV sports broadcaster for
Turner Broadcasting.
The
foolishness of Chapman’s caper defies logic.
Apple store records show he was present on several occasions and video
shows him purloining the property with a knapsack or white Apple bags.
In
an even more stunning lapse Chapman apparently wasted no time selling the booty
to local pawnshops. They too keep
surveillance video recordings and are required to obtain identification of
anyone pawning or selling property.
Most
people are thinking this mess may resolve itself with some probation with
restitution. Not in Arizona! This state
has some of the more draconian laws in the USA.
Since
there are several separate criminal events they are all treated as prior
offenses. The five separate felony
counts of Trafficking In Stolen property counts involved alone could easily put
him behind bars for the rest of his life.
Video
surveillance without eyewitness testimony is worthless because it is hearsay. However in court the Apple Store’s records will refresh
the clerk’s memory so he can identify Chapman, as the person on the video is
the same one he served. The same holds
true for the pawnshop clerks.
I
can’t imagine Chapman being so desperate for money considering his high-end
salary garnered from both careers. I can
only ask what was he thinking?
The
Scottsdale police officer’s probable cause statement below in the attached court record tells
this sordid story.
Comments
Gambling problem?
Blackout drunk?
Drug habit?
Depression?
A combination of two or more?
Strange but shoplifters very often commit these offenses even though they are not needy at all and could easily afford to pay for the stolen items.
I remember a Det. Sgt. (in plainclothes), from the CPD who went to a Salvation Army store and loaded 2 shopping bags with Bulls, Bears, Blackhawks, Cubs and Sox T-shirts, sweatshirts and jackets and tried to start haggling with the cashier for a reduced total cost. The cashier wasn't able to negotiate and since he had close to $100 worth of merchandise and was offering only $20, she called for the manager. He refused to wait and left a $20 bill on the counter and left. Police were called and he was literally put in handcuffs and arrested and brought into HIS OWN Detective division and processed. He'd done something similar before and bosses were tired of him.
My point though, is that he had plenty of cash and could afford to pay but he was a goof. These people are not rational doing this crap.
Remember When Shirley Temple Black got busted for shoplifting? SMH