Cash Theft

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, December 16, 2008

BPD: woman facing felony for cash theft

By Billy Davis

Batesville police allege that a would-be Good Samaritan turned in a missing wallet at Wal-Mart – minus the cash that was inside.

Latonia Keen, 31, is charged with one count of grand larceny for allegedly stealing the cash.

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Under Mississippi law a theft of more than $500 triggers a felony, and police say that more than $600 was taken from the wallet.

After the incident, Keen was observed on store video taking the wallet inside a restroom before she turned it in to a store employee according to a police report.

The wallet had been lost in the store, not taken from a purse or stolen, said Detective Jeremiah Brown, who interviewed the suspect.

The police report also states that $590 was recovered from Keen. Keen purchased a $25 SIM card (cellphone chip) with the remaining cash, police said.

A grand larceny conviction carries a maximum 10-year sentence and $10,000 fine. Mississippi law does not specify a minimum punishment for conviction.