A pair of thieves pleaded for mercy in Colorado, claiming they should be given a lesser sentence because the more than $2,000 worth of items they stole from a local department store were on sale, according to a Tuesday statement from Colorado’s 18th Judicial District.
Fifty-year-old Michael Green and 37-year-old Byron Bolden, dubbed the “Kitchen-Aid Mixer Crew” by the staff of the Kohl’s they robbed, were arrested for stealing $2,094 worth of merchandise — including designer shoes and clothing as well as the high-end appliances that earned them their nickname, according to the 18th District’s statement.
In Colorado, theft of property with a value ranging between $2,000 and $5,000 is a Class 6 felony.
***PRESS RELEASE***
2 men dubbed the @Kohls “KitchenAid appliance thieves” have been sentenced for felony theft. Defense attorneys suggested to a jury that their clients should face a lesser misdemeanor charge b/c some of the stolen items were “on sale.”https://t.co/S7xrKsmYMK pic.twitter.com/HvwANO0Vhk— 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office (@DA18th) December 12, 2023
The duo’s attorney argued that because the items they stole that were on sale, Green and Bolden should only be charged with misdemeanors, according to the statement. (RELATED: Thieves Are Stripping Shelves Bare By Planning Robberies At Delivery Times, Employees Say)
The jury, however, disagreed, finding both men guilty of felony theft, according to the statement. Green was sentenced to 15 months in prison, while Bolden got 90 days in jail with credit for time served as a condition of 18 months of probation, per the statement.
“Just because an item is ‘on sale’ doesn’t mean it’s free to steal, and these defendants now get to think about this lesson in jail and prison,” District Attorney John Kellner said, per the statement. “Retailers in our community are fed up with theft and my office will actively prosecute these offenders.”