Placard admitting guilt is better than jail, Liberty thief says

LIBERTY

Greg Davenport drew a lot of attention with a giant, red-lettered sign he wore on Belmont Avenue Wednesday afternoon.

“I am a thief. I stole from Walmart,” the sign read.

Davenport, 43, of Northview Boulevard, sipped a Starburst Strawberry Freeze from Taco Bell and talked on his cellphone while displaying the punishment for his crime for passersby to see in front of the Liberty Walmart store.

He said he wasn’t embarrassed by this punishment, but he was just trying to get it over with.

“It’s better than being in jail,” Davenport said.

The Liberty man pleaded no contest at his March 9 hearing in Girard Municipal Court on a theft charge for stealing merchandise from Walmart in December. Judge Jeffrey Adler found him guilty.

During Davenport’s sentencing, Judge Adler gave Davenport an option for his punishment – to serve 30 days in jail or to wear the sign in front of the Liberty Walmart for 10 eight-hour days of his choosing.

Read more about his case in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.