Wal-Mart thief gets year in jail

The man who filled up his long johns and tried to waddle out of Wal-Mart with his drawers full of merchandise was given a year in jail Tuesday by Judge Larry Ross.

The defendant, Jeffery Turner, entered a guilty plea Tuesday to the charge of theft and was given an 11-month, 29-day sentence to serve in the county jail. He entered the plea on his first appearance before the court for arraignment, bypassing a trial.

With time off for good behavior, he will be out in about nine months, at which time he will be extradited to Florida where he is wanted on charges of exploitation of a senior citizen. He has waived an extradition hearing and will voluntarily return to Florida to face the charge once his time here is done.

He was arrested recently when a checkout clerk at Wal-Mart noticed his legs were bulging as he went through her line to purchase a fishing pole. Turner was stopped at the door and a search of his person revealed he had concealed 45 small items in a pair of long underwear he was wearing beneath his other clothes.

He had taped up the legs of the long johns to form the compartment within the thermal underwear which he was wearing on a nearly 100-degree day.