Mom Accused Of Being Grinch: Returns Shop With A Cop Merchandise For Cash

Originally posted by thegoodearth
So... the "terrible" cops took this woman and her children out to buy them toys and warm clothes...
and she returned the items for cash the very next day...
and you think that it is wrong for her to be called on the carpet for this?

Tell that to her children when they are freezing because they have no winter coats,
and they are sad because they have no gifts under the tree,
while their mother spends the cash.

I am sure if she qualifies for "Shop with a Cop" then she is receiving assistance from other
programs as well.

I agree, the POS is probably out buying drugs with the money, or she would have been so, either way, she's gotten what she deserves!!!

Personal rule, at the top of my list....never, ever accept help from a program such as the FOP or other charities, it always comes with a price. Now I know why I get these solicitation calls for money from them. (Told them to take my name off the calling list)

Of course it's my rule and maybe not yours....but after reading what was involved, Kentucky Fried Chicken and the Pizza and drinks (pop more than likely)...none of the food was "good food" for kids but junk. Wonder if any other ff restraunts were solicited, like say Boston Market. Then these kids don't deserve the good stuff right???? Think about it. Next, they are loaded on to buses, sure certain churches supplied the wheels....but who knows, down the line it could be government or FEMA buses. (Just a possibility). Get the kids used to following "orders"...feed 'em and make 'em happy and they will be easier to control. For the Pi est de resistance, let's go to Wal Mart (Homeland Security's newest informer).

People, there is more at work here than just a mother that felt the cash was more important than the so called "gifts" from the FOP's. I will not pass judgment on this woman without knowing why she chose to turn in the merchandise for cash....btw...can't get cash back from Wal Mart unless you have a receipt. If these were gifts, why wasn't the receipt turned over to the "generous" cop? The receipt should have gone to the FOP so they would know how much was spent per future "perp". She should have never been taken to jail, as I see it, that was way over the top.

I also remember many times when I was growing up being raised by a single mother how my brothers and I did without because there wasn't enough money for extras. My mom did the best she could, she never took anything from anyone, she worked, we had warm clothes and a roof over our head. A tree at every Christmas, and the gifts were from the heart...sometimes used, sometimes only one new gift each (there were three of us)....but we also learned many things ...you never get something for nothing, and the only ones you can count on is yourself....we learned integrity and self sufficiency. Then again that was when America was America, and people spoke to one another and were not so quick to prejudge one another. It was when such things as this could be solved verbally with understanding and not breaking up a family at Christmas time.

Then again, in the police state this country has become, I would not expect anything less...

reply to post by Pimpish

Did anyone noticed how skewed this article is written? There's more than meets the eye, seems that they're charging her for her lack(maybe) of morals, than an actual legitimate charge that would stick. They need to have proof and evidence she had intent on doing this before they went shopping, or they have no charge on "theft by deceit". How are they going to prove that? i don't think they can, It will be dismissed. She may have an addiction issue, because it does follow a behavioral trait of the disease and maybe as a result of the arrest she gets help, but I'm also picturing the epitome of a redneck cop after reading the way the article was written, maybe a bit of both? www.lex18.com...

Is what she did illegal?


(Yes) Charge justified.

(No) Charge not justified.

This story goes into a little more detail:

Meade Co. Sheriff: Mom took Christmas away from Children

The gifts to the children through the program were extremely generous, $150 each for 4 children. She returned $100 worth of items and tried to return another $66 worth of toys.

The report says that she bonded out yesterday and has a previous juvenile record for theft.

She claimed that she was going to use the money for items that they needed more, but couldn't produce receipts for those items. No mention of when she returned the items, what she planned to purchase or if she had sufficient time to purchase the new items.

No detail was given as to any agreements made by participating in the program. The report implies that she intended to spend the money on herself.

3 days in jail does seem excessive for behavior that probably is not a crime. It would be surprising if minor children had ownership rights. More likely, ownership is given to adult parents/guardians.

Woman Returns Kids' 'Shop With A Cop' Gifts For Cash

This report provides more detail. The father of two of the children claims they are not needy. The mother has hired an attorney.

Don't forget this bit also:

The police report said Beard has been deceptive on prior occasions for food stamps and assisted living expenses.

www.wlky.com...

It's all coming out now, looks like the woman is exactly the type of distasteful benefit abuser I suspected her to be.

Just to add as well:

The police report says Two of the fathers stated their children were not needy

www.wave3.com...

Nice...

Originally posted by thegoodearth
think that it is wrong for her to be called on the carpet for this?

Is that what you call it? Being arrested, taken away from you're family and being shamed in the community is being "called on the carpet"? You make it sound so casual. Maybe she needed to pay the bills?

This story is enraging an the cops have stepped WAY out of line. Do you think if I called the cops on my girlfriend for returning a gifted necklace for cash that she would be arrested? Hmmmm? This is nuts and even nuttier that people are defending the act.

Edit: upon further reading, it seems she is an ass, but theft it is not. She and her family were shopped for. She didn't shoplift or steal and has only a juvenile record. This doesn't warrant taking her away from her children and prosecuting her.

reply to post by SmokeandShadow


The fact still remains, she had intent.

Criminal intent must be formed before the act, and it must unite with the act. It need not exist for any given length of time before the act; the intent and the act can be as instantaneous as simultaneous or successive thoughts. Read more: Criminal Law - Intent - Murder, Defendant, Act, Example, Death, and Crime law.jrank.org...

Proving intent is very easy...in which this case she went back the following day which further supports the argument.
Now once intent is established, you can easily identify the actions or crime:

fraud is a deliberate misrepresentation which causes another person to suffer damages, usually monetary losses

Once fraud by deception has been viewed you have to address the monetary loss:

There must be a deliberate misrepresentation of the product's condition and actual monetary damages must occur.

By reviewing the case and the facts as we know them, there was intent, deception, and a monetary loss incurred by the cop. Not to mention the kids. they to experienced a " loss ". The mothers actions are not justifiable, suggesting that she should be held accountable for her actions.

Originally posted by AgentSmith
Don't forget this bit also:

The police report said Beard has been deceptive on prior occasions for food stamps and assisted living expenses.

www.wlky.com...

It's all coming out now, looks like the woman is exactly the type of distasteful benefit abuser I suspected her to be.

Just to add as well:

The police report says Two of the fathers stated their children were not needy

www.wave3.com...

Nice...

edit on 21-12-2010 by AgentSmith because: (no reason given)

IMO, she not only stole from the charity and stole from her children, she stole from another family who really could have benefitted from this program, and why if she stole from Food stamps has she not been in jail already?
She's a real piece of work. I know a few exactly like her. They're rampant in this country. I think they should nail her to the wall, can't beleive she was not already for defrauding the welfare system????

I think it would be safe to say she's POS with what we know now. Thats not right to do to your kids at Chrismas. Yep. Grinch. I was trying(hoping) to give her the benifit of the doubt. It sounds like deceit is a pattern for her. I thought she was in Meade,Co not KY my mistake there, not that it matters.

Originally posted by SmokeandShadow

Originally posted by thegoodearth
think that it is wrong for her to be called on the carpet for this?

Is that what you call it? Being arrested, taken away from you're family and being shamed in the community is being "called on the carpet"? You make it sound so casual. Maybe she needed to pay the bills?

This story is enraging an the cops have stepped WAY out of line. Do you think if I called the cops on my girlfriend for returning a gifted necklace for cash that she would be arrested? Hmmmm? This is nuts and even nuttier that people are defending the act.

Edit: upon further reading, it seems she is an ass, but theft it is not. She and her family were shopped for. She didn't shoplift or steal and has only a juvenile record. This doesn't warrant taking her away from her children and prosecuting her.

edit on 21-12-2010 by SmokeandShadow because: added more

Actually, her children were taken out for a special day of their own, where they were able to buy their own gifts, with monitoring on the gifts selected.

Furthermore, since this woman had already been in trouble for deceiving the gov on food stamps and assisted living expenses, then it only underlines the fact that she apparently "works" the system for her own personal gain.

The fact that she claimed to return the gifts to buy other "more needed" items, but failed to show proof of these other "needed" items is telling of her intentions.

I think that if more people were actually held accountable for these kinds of frauds and actions, then perhaps the dirtbags that constantly "take" when they aren't needy (as the children's fathers asserted), would think twice before perpetuating this kind of theft, especially on programs that directly help the poor, as this one does.

So, yes, in this case, I think that her arrest is justified, and hopefully the woman won't try this kind of crap again, so truly needy people will get help, and it also send a message to all the others who defraud social services, that people are tired of their good works being used for selfish reasons.
Obviously this kind of thing is so rarely caught that people are "shocked" when it does... If they would prosecute people who defraud these programs more often, people would realize they can't get away with it.
If this was done at any other time of the year, I wonder if the outcry would be as extreme.

People who use their kids to squeeze as much money as they can out of programs are the lowest of the low.

reply to post by thegoodearth


I agree with you 100%. These people disgust me. I am profoundly bitter, too, I'll admit it. My Hubbys ex who has two children by him (maybe) is a lifetime defrauder, as soon as his two children hit the age where they could not get the bennies anymore, she immediately went out to become pregnant again so she could collect for that child lying saying that child's father is not in the household which he is and he makes Damn good money! He makes more than the both of us when we are both working!!!! You know what that POS mother did? This is not the only thing, she took the presents my hubby's mother bought her children (while my kids really didn't get a damn thing of worth from her that year) and sold them so she and her new BF could go party up in NY!!! Yeah they weren't cheap presents either, no my children got the cheap S**** from her cause I was well off at the time had a very lucritive job and benefits. She bought the POS woman's KIDS starter jackets, nike shoes a gaming system which was brand new for the year, I think it was PS the first model and that POS mother of theirs sold everything! And my kids got tinker toys from his mom. Which they kept, if anything I should have told her to shove it up her whazoo!!! She felt the other two were under pirveledged because their mother is defrauding the system.
These people you can even call on them, we have, and they don't even investigate it!!!! It's pathetic!!!!

Originally posted by thegoodearth
So... the "terrible" cops took this woman and her children out to buy them toys and warm clothes...
and she returned the items for cash the very next day...
and you think that it is wrong for her to be called on the carpet for this?

Tell that to her children when they are freezing because they have no winter coats,
and they are sad because they have no gifts under the tree,
while their mother spends the cash.

I am sure if she qualifies for "Shop with a Cop" then she is receiving assistance from other
programs as well.

And that was my wife and I very first thought after reading the OP post, and as MUCH as we AGREE WHOLEHEARTEDLY...we would be agreeing through society's rules in what is largely considered right from wrong. BUT once you remove that "bias" from that line of thought, she really should have been free to do with whatever she pleased in reference to the "gifts" I mean as much as you and I would disagree with her decision...the cop should he have a problem with that should realize that what was done was done and if it bothers him/her that badly, well then do not participate in future events. Also we truly do not know the real details of it all. Maybe this woman was about to have her electricity turned off in the dead of winter or who knows ya know? But in the end...again as much as we might not like or agree with it...it was NONE of the polices business in what she ultimately chose to do with the "gifts" as hard as that might be to swallow.

NT

We stopped by Beard's Brandenburg home to try and get her side of the story, but there was no answer. The police report says two of the fathers stated their children were not needy.

The police report also stated that Beard has been deceptive on prior occasions for food stamps and assisted living expenses.

www.wave3.com...

There you go. Theft by deception. The kids were not needy but she faked like they were to get them in this program. She also has past history of fraud. She is a total loser that used her kids to steal money from this program that helps needy children during the holiday. She got what she deserves and she should be ashamed.

OP, do you have "JackBoot" macro'd on your keyboard? Maybe you have been wronged by the police in the past, possibly unjustifiably, but you HAVE to look at the facts of THIS case specifically.

Whereweheaded wins the thread for his post. Period.

I don't feel sorry for anyone that is teaching their children to work the system, take advantage of charitable services, or use the good will of another person to attain something other than what the gift, charitable donation etc. was intended for. I don't care if she had to pay a bill, because this charitable program is the worst route she could have used to do so, because the kids were involved! If a parent has to go about keeping a roof over their children's head or food on the table by "shady" means, then you don't let the children in on the scheme. Way to teach your kid some morals and self reliance. It's disrespectful to the charitable organization and disgusting that she used it for something other than it's intended purpose. This is an instance of taking advantage, rather than being respectful and grateful of the benevolence of the charity. That's simply morally wrong regardless of her circumstance. But being thrown in jail? The should have just made her return the money, and put it all over the news.

Originally posted by Erasurehead

We stopped by Beard's Brandenburg home to try and get her side of the story, but there was no answer. The police report says two of the fathers stated their children were not needy.

The police report also stated that Beard has been deceptive on prior occasions for food stamps and assisted living expenses.

www.wave3.com...

There you go. Theft by deception. The kids were not needy but she faked like they were to get them in this program. She also has past history of fraud. She is a total loser that used her kids to steal money from this program that helps needy children during the holiday. She got what she deserves and she should be ashamed.

Nevermind, she should be in jail.

However you look at it I don't care for much for either side, but it's pretty clear here that the mother is mostly in the wrong.

From the mothers perspective she used the children in a ruse in order to gain income and thought nothing of it.

The children. Imagine what kind of effect that has on this little human being for the rest of its existence. Either the child is to young to understand which causes mistrust of the world or it becomes complicit of the crime and incorporates that behavior as part of its life as the mother has shown that this is acceptable behavior.

Gifts with strings attached. Never liked them much, nor those who use their financial resources to feel better about themselves while trying to steer or control other peoples lives.

I find the arrest itself as disgusting, controlling behavior causing further disruption in peoples lives who already have sever enough problems.

Instead of thinking of an alternative way (putting time in) to help the family they decided to take the easy route use their power & public resources to extract revenge for being played.

Again, I wouldn't want to be friends with either party here.

Originally posted by Erasurehead

We stopped by Beard's Brandenburg home to try and get her side of the story, but there was no answer. The police report says two of the fathers stated their children were not needy.

The police report also stated that Beard has been deceptive on prior occasions for food stamps and assisted living expenses.

www.wave3.com...

There you go. Theft by deception. The kids were not needy but she faked like they were to get them in this program. She also has past history of fraud. She is a total loser that used her kids to steal money from this program that helps needy children during the holiday. She got what she deserves and she should be ashamed.

Oh...yea well disregard my post in her defense. Lock her sorry ass up and toss the key. Society has enough of this riff raff, one less is that much better