COLUMBUS - The crime was simple enough. It was the getaway that needed some work. <br>
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Benjamin Blount, 39, went before Superior Court Judge John D. Allen on Thursday for walking out of a store on May 18 with two cases of beer. <br>
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As the store clerk watched, Blount stepped into a waiting taxi. The clerk ran to the cab and told the driver not to leave. <br>
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When police arrived, Blount was still sitting in the taxi with the stolen beer, prosecutor Susan Henderson said. <br>
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Shoplifting is usually a misdemeanor calling for a few weeks in jail, a fine, or both. Because Blount had been convicted three times of shoplifting and once of possessing cocaine, he was indicted as a repeat offender. <br>
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Allen sentenced him to a year in prison, followed by four years' probation. The sentence will allow him to be released after about four more months.
