East Greenbush woman to serve six months of weekends in jail despite pleas for leniency
An East Greenbush woman who admitted stealing a $25,000 winning lottery ticket was sentenced Thursday to six months of weekends in jail, despite pleas from her attorney that the court show some mercy and drop the jail time.
Kelly Clifford, 21, appeared before Judge Robert Jacon for sentencing last week, when her lawyer, John Kelleher, asked for "compassion" for his client.
During that appearance, Kelleher insinuated that a plea deal, made a couple of months ago under the administration of then-District Attorney Patricia DeAngelis, may have been too harsh. He said a former assistant district attorney, let go by incoming District Attorney Richard McNally, "wanted to see my client taken to the gallows."
Jacon gave Kelleher a week to confer with the new district attorney, but McNally, who stepped in as the prosecutor for the sentencing, told Jacon Thursday his office was not inclined to alter the deal.
Kelleher repeated his request for less jail time, but apologized for giving the impression a week earlier that the new administration may be more merciful than the previous. He said his arguments were based on a pre-sentencing report not previously available that showed Clifford had a rough time growing up, took responsibility for her crime and had already paid full restitution.
Jacon did extend Clifford some mercy. He ordered that she appear at the jail at 6 p.m. Fridays and be released at 6 p.m. Sundays for the weekend incarcerations. Most people serving such sentences are not released until 6 a.m. Monday.
Clifford also must serve five years of probation on a grand larceny charge for stealing the ticket while working at the Mobil On the Run in East Greenbush.
On July 9, a 24-year-old Rensselaer woman took a lottery ticket to Clifford's store to determine if it was a winner. A clerk told her she'd won $25,000 and the woman left the store. A short time later she returned, realizing she had left the winning ticket at the store.
Clifford, the store manager, searched the store's trash bin with the victim's help and found nothing. The winner left and returned a little while later to search again. By that time, Clifford had found and pocketed the ticket.
Clifford, the clerk and another woman were later charged with cashing the ticket and splitting the winnings. The cases against the other women have been resolved, but those dispositions couldn't be immediately learned Thursday.
Is six months of weekends longer than a month of Sundays? Who leaves the store without the winning ticket and who doesn't check the ticket and notice they won 25G and go to Lottery HQ with it or at least put it in a Halliburton locked steel case?
People are human! We forget things and misplace things all the time. I spend half my day looking for my glasses. We don't always make the best decisions when we're excited. Or when we're not for that matter.
But that doesn't excuse a thief for trying to rip her off. And luckily, the law agrees.
I think she should have gotten more time, myself. I think she got off very easy. With just weekends in jail, her life will barely even be interrupted.
Quote: Originally posted by LuckyLilly on Jan 11, 2008
People are human! We forget things and misplace things all the time. I spend half my day looking for my glasses. We don't always make the best decisions when we're excited. Or when we're not for that matter.
But that doesn't excuse a thief for trying to rip her off. And luckily, the law agrees.
I think she should have gotten more time, myself. I think she got off very easy. With just weekends in jail, her life will barely even be interrupted.
why did the woman who claimed she had the winning ticket leave the ticket in the store ?????
dont sound right ...this clerk must have said it was a looser ??
Quote: Originally posted by computerhead723 on Jan 12, 2008
why did the woman who claimed she had the winning ticket leave the ticket in the store ?????
dont sound right ...this clerk must have said it was a looser ??
No, the article said a clerk at the store told her it was a winner. The owner of the ticket left it there because she was excited or forgetful or something. She realized later she had left it and went back to retrieve it. That's when the perp, the store manager, five-fingered it.
Quote: Originally posted by LuckyLilly on Jan 12, 2008
No, the article said a clerk at the store told her it was a winner. The owner of the ticket left it there because she was excited or forgetful or something. She realized later she had left it and went back to retrieve it. That's when the perp, the store manager, five-fingered it.
Right, Lilly. I remember when LP first posted this news article. The winner was probably so surprised she ran out and then realized how foolish she'd been, since she didn't get anything for validation. Read the story I just posted about the time a teller shorted me $1,800 and I didn't notice the discrepancy right away. It was an honest mistake, but I'm usually extremely careful. Still, as you pointed out, people do spaced out things under stress and they shouldn't be punished for them by dishonest hoodlums. Although it only happened to me once, I left my plastic sleeve on the counter at a store several years ago with my tickets in it. The store clerk chased after me and that night I definitely would have given her a portion of my jackpot had I won.
A weekend in jail isn't a picnic. I've never been arrested in my life, but I once visited someone at the county jail and it isn't pretty. I never saw the inside, only where you talk on the phone, but it was very noisy and musty. I do agree her sentence is light, but the jails & prisons are very overcrowded, so I guess it's best to leave a cell available for someone more violent. She'll probably learn her lesson after spending a few weekends in the slammer.
They weren't planning on stealing the ticket. The winner left the ticket at the store, so they took advantage of the opportunity. Stealing the ticket at any point would probably be dumb, but people do plenty of stupid things for a lot less than 25 grand.
What a deal,work hard during the week,and rest on a iron bunk bed!
Yeah. Free food too and bodyguards.
It could have been worse for the lady. She could be spending the full 6 months in prison without any breaks.
Is six months of weekends longer than a month of Sundays? Who leaves the store without the winning ticket and who doesn't check the ticket and notice they won 25G and go to Lottery HQ with it or at least put it in a Halliburton locked steel case?
People are human! We forget things and misplace things all the time. I spend half my day looking for my glasses. We don't always make the best decisions when we're excited. Or when we're not for that matter.
But that doesn't excuse a thief for trying to rip her off. And luckily, the law agrees.
I think she should have gotten more time, myself. I think she got off very easy. With just weekends in jail, her life will barely even be interrupted.
OH well .....she shouldn't have stolen the ticket
why did the woman who claimed she had the winning ticket leave the ticket in the store ?????
dont sound right ...this clerk must have said it was a looser ??
No, the article said a clerk at the store told her it was a winner. The owner of the ticket left it there because she was excited or forgetful or something. She realized later she had left it and went back to retrieve it. That's when the perp, the store manager, five-fingered it.
Right, Lilly. I remember when LP first posted this news article. The winner was probably so surprised she ran out and then realized how foolish she'd been, since she didn't get anything for validation. Read the story I just posted about the time a teller shorted me $1,800 and I didn't notice the discrepancy right away. It was an honest mistake, but I'm usually extremely careful. Still, as you pointed out, people do spaced out things under stress and they shouldn't be punished for them by dishonest hoodlums. Although it only happened to me once, I left my plastic sleeve on the counter at a store several years ago with my tickets in it. The store clerk chased after me and that night I definitely would have given her a portion of my jackpot had I won.
A weekend in jail isn't a picnic. I've never been arrested in my life, but I once visited someone at the county jail and it isn't pretty. I never saw the inside, only where you talk on the phone, but it was very noisy and musty. I do agree her sentence is light, but the jails & prisons are very overcrowded, so I guess it's best to leave a cell available for someone more violent. She'll probably learn her lesson after spending a few weekends in the slammer.
I knew I read about this case before. Here is the thread from last summer.
https://www.lotterypost.com/thread.aspx?tp=159339&q=clifford&tab=nw&rp=search
i dont get it, if they were planning on stealing the ticket, why tell the woman she won 25k.
also after the fact, she was told she won, stealing the ticket at that point would be dumb.
They weren't planning on stealing the ticket. The winner left the ticket at the store, so they took advantage of the opportunity. Stealing the ticket at any point would probably be dumb, but people do plenty of stupid things for a lot less than 25 grand.