If you guessed corrupting Amish teenagers, you are a criminal justice God. Pennsylvania man Thomas Candler Felts, 25, was sentenced this week in Lancaster County Court for giving Amish teens some beer and later causing a crash with their horse-drawn buggy after yelling “Rumspringa.”
Felts pulled into the parking lot and started a conversation with a group of Amish teenagers hanging out at the store. He showed the teens his pistol and then gave them cans of Yuengling Lager beer. He then drove away in his Dodge.
The teens left in their buggy only to have Felts pass them screaming “Rumspringa.” He then stopped abruptly and caused an accident with the buggy. Thankfully no one was hurt. Felts then however started yelling about his pistol being gone and later told police that he chased down the buggy out of a belief that they had stolen the gun.
Felts was sentenced to serve thirty days to six months in prison with a year of probation after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor DUI and furnishing alcohol to minors.
Kudos: Roger Schechter
Giving alcohol to the Amish is like giving candy to babies. He deserves all he gets.
I have no idea about sentencing guidelines but I’m guessing this is not his first offense.
Yuengling beer!! That should be illegal. I drank one can when I was going to school in PA. It’s piss.
You be careful out among them English.
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“Rumspringa” refers to the Amish right of passage. The Amish are often educated to only the 8th grade. However, once they reach the age of 18, I think it is, they are given a single year in which to experience the outside world with the “English.” It’s called Rumspringa. The amount of freedom they are allowed varies by community, from being closely monitored but wearing “English” clothes, to running around strip clubs. Since most of them only have an 8th grade education, actually making it in the real world is quite difficult. It can be quite a shock to youth, if they have led a sheltered life. Those who interact more with the English are a bit more prepared. After that year, they must decide if they will join the Amish community as adults, or leave. But if they leave, they are shunned. No one in their community, including their family, will usually speak to them. I’ve personally known Amish who left. It’s extremely rare for the girls to leave because they are extremely sheltered, unprepared for the outside world, and it’s tough to choose freedom over everyone you’ve ever known or loved. It took one man two tries because he just couldn’t make it the first time with his educational gaps. He had friends among the English the 2nd time around who were ready and willing to help him. His mother sent him letters for years saying he was going to hell if he didn’t return, and he was shunned by everyone else. I wonder if his Amish friends ever talked to him again. There are good and bad aspects, and people, among the Amish.
it sounds like this guy might have been Amish baiting. He could have gotten those kids killed. Since buggies drive among traffic, fatal buggy accidents can and do occur.
Also, “caused an accident with the buggy” could mean that their horse broke his legs and died a miserable death. Horse vs car does not end well for the animal.
Getting inebriated is simply one of the most dumb things a person can do. If you have to get drunk. Just get someone to remove your gun and your vehicle keys from the premises. And never ever leave your own private property while drunk.