Claude Allen's Five Finger Discount

It is reported that Claude Allen, former adviser to el Presidente, had a thing going on.

Here's how it worked. Allen would go to a chain store, buy something he wanted and then go home or whatever. A few days later he'd take the receipt to another branch of the same chain (usually Target), select the identical item off the shelf, mosey up to the returns counter, present the article and the saved receipt, and collect himself a refund.

Now. Allen was popped for theft in front of a Target store in Maryland back in January with things he'd unaccountably neglected to pay for. A mere bagatelle? Perhaps, according to his attorney.

However, as the saying goes, inquiring minds want to know. The subsequent police investigation revealed 25 or more previous instances where Allen had done more or less the same thing, sometimes while the cameras were turned on him. The result was two felony theft charges and the investigation is ongoing.

The only question in my mind is this: what was a guy making $150,000 per year doing this for, and where do I sign up for a job like that?