by Gene Howington, Guest Blogger

Every so often a news story catches the eye for no other reason than the blatantly bad decision making and stupidity that went in to creating it.  Submitted for your approval are three stories of just such a nature.  I leave it to you, dear reader, to decide which one was dumb, dumber and dumbest . . .

“They stole what?”

In some respect, you almost have to give the criminal in this case points for creativity in deciding what to steal. Almost. On Tuesday, December 11, 2012, Rachel L. McCarty of Reddick, Florida, returned home to find out she was a victim of theft. She didn’t even have to go into the house to see she was a victim.

Her driveway had been stolen.

Upon returning home from running errands on Tuesday, she felt a big “bump.” Upon exiting the vehicle, McCarty saw that over 300 square feet of concrete pavers were missing. “In my 22 years with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, I’ve never seen someone’s driveway stolen.” said Capt. Eric Rawls of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.

Here’s where the stupidity comes in to play.

On Thursday, December 13, 2012, the alleged thief returned to get the remaining pavers.  Apparently he didn’t think anyone would have noticed the missing driveway and might be on the look out. Police arrested Anthony O. Jones, 49, and charged him with grand theft. “I can’t believe they came back. I’m glad someone was caught,” said McCarty.

“Is it better to give than to receive?”

In this season of giving, you should always remember that you often get back what you give in kind if not specifically.

In October, Dallas attorney Tom Corea was lawyer disbarred and charged with four felonies for allegedly stealing from clients. How could things get worse? By his own hand and other body parts apparently. Corea was out on bail when he was evicted for non-payment of rent and ordered to leave his office space by the end of the month. When the realtor managing the building showed up for a post-move inspection, he found Corea had not only failed to return the property in reasonable condition, but had made some most undesirable additions.  The property manager said the office was in a state of “complete destruction” including penis graffiti on every single wall (some of them named Doug in an apparent reference to the Doug Molny – the realtor in question), feces and urine on the floor, and the name of an Arizona judge who found him in contempt of court in an unrelated case scrawled on the walls along with a derogatory message and the judge’s phone number. In this season where family and friends are appreciated, Corea’s girlfriend was briefly called to testify until prosecutors halted her testimony when they decided she was likely an accomplice. A relationship based upon the solid foundation of a mutual love of vandalism is bound to last. Corea was sent to jail for violating the terms of his release pending further charges. There is no word yet as to whether or when his girlfriend would be joining him in the clink, but regardless, they are likely not to be sharing the rest of the holidays together.

“Can I get a note for my boss?”

Everyone has had to ask this question at the doctor’s office at one time or another. Sometimes the doctor will even fib a little to get the patient a bit more recovery time. It’s not every day you hear of someone asking for a note from the police department though.

When Demarco Alonzo Thomas flew in to Tucson International Airport, it was the third time he had transported money from his home state of North Carolina to Tucson for drug dealers. Per the arrangement, Thomas would receive a text on his cell phone about an upcoming trip and pick up a suitcase full of cash and a prepaid debit card to purchase airline tickets. He was paid $1000 per trip. Proving that the third time is not always the charm, Thomas received a threatening phone call when the drug dealer’s count came up $20,000 short. The naturally fearful Thomas returned to the airport the next morning and called police, explained his situation and asked for a phony receipt to document that the money had been seized and not stolen by him. As if getting busted and having the money seized incident to an arrest wouldn’t be just as bad for him with his employers.

The police found $17,000 in hundred dollar bills in the pockets of a pair of blue jeans packed in the suit case and another $3,020 in hundreds in his wallet.  When officers asked Thomas to sign paperwork stating they really were going to seize the cash, he refused. Thomas was arrested on suspicion of money laundering and racketeering. The well-intentioned but bumbling courier will now be spending the holidays in jail where he will no doubt be out of reach from his drug dealer bosses.

There they are, folks. Dumb, dumber, dumbest. Who wins?

What do you think?

Source(s): Ocala.com, Newser.com, crimeblog.dallasnews.com,  Arizona Daily Star

~submitted by Gene Howington, Guest Blogger