Theft from Samaritans nets apologies

Jonathan G. Lawson, 20, was sentenced to 30 days in jail Friday in superior court Friday after he pleaded guilty to a charge of third-degree theft. Judge Gary Libey ordered Lawson to serve the 30-day sentence after he completes another sentence from district court.

Lawson entered the plea to third degree theft, a gross misdemeanor, under terms of a plea bargain in which Prosecutor Denis Tracy agreed to drop two other charges related to the same case.

According to the arrest report, Lawson appeared at the residence of Larry and Linda Schroetlin on Highway 27 in the early morning hours of Nov. 22.

He asked the couple, who had assisted him before, if they would help him purchase gas. The report said while Mr. Schroetlin was changing to accompany Lawson to the self serve fuel station in Garfield, Lawson was left alone in the kitchen of the residence and took Mrs. Schroetlin's wallet out of her purse. She later realized the wallet was missing and followed her husband and Lawson to the Garfield pumps where she asked Lawson to return the wallet. He denied taking the wallet, but would not allow them to search the Dodge Durango pickup he was diving.

After returning home, the couple learned a credit card from the wallet had been used to purchase gas in Oakesdale, and Lawson was subsequently identified on a surveillance camera making the purchase.

The prosecutor Friday read a letter from Larry Schroetlin which said they forgive Lawson and hope the act of forgiveness on their part would lead Lawson to consider changing his ways.

Lawson told the court he planned to enroll in a GED program at WSU.

Judge Libey sentenced him to 364 days with all but 30 suspended. He will be on informal probation for one year. He was also ordered to pay restitution of $300 to the victims.

Noting Lawson took advantage of two people who were being nice to him, the judge ordered the defendant to write a letters of apology to the Schroetlins and to other victims of the district court matter. The letters were ordered to be finished by Jan. 3.

Tracy noted Mrs. Schroetlin would like to have her wallet returned.

Lawson told the court he would like to return the wallet, but he would have to go looking for it because he threw it out the window of the pickup as he was driving.