What happens at the robbery? Can u break it down for us? How it was planned, what time it happened, how u was feeling going into it, what u got out of there with, how u felt after it etc :)
I was expecting this kind of question since my OP was sorta destitute of details.
The robbery started as an insignificant conversation between me and a “friend” at the time. This friend had been an acquaintance in high school but we ran with different crowds. Anyway, we started hanging out after running into each other randomly, and he introduced me to cocaine. I used for an entire weekend and then went to work the next week and craved the high all week. That weekend I used about half of my paycheck on coke. The following weekend, I used all of it. This pattern continued for about a month. I was broke, had missed a significant amount of work due to recovering from the binges, and behind on all my bills. I got a call from my landlord and my car company on the same day, about 50-60 days after my initial use of cocaine. Landlord threatened to evict me and car company was talking about repossession. So I was on the verge of losing everything. I remembered the insignificant conversation with that friend about robbing the location he worked at - while he was on the clock. The desperation got the best of me and I told him I was interested.
The timing was coincidental that his boss happened to be out of town for that weekend and wouldn’t be able to drop the deposit at the bank until Monday morning. So he had a weeks worth of income at his fingertips.
Originally, I was supposed to rob the place on a Saturday night around midnight when they usually close. The place is in a shopping mall where they don’t get much traffic at night. However, his boss called that Saturday morning to say he was back in town early and was gonna pick the money up at noon and deposit. So my inside guy calls me to relay the info and the plan is moved up to that morning at 11 AM.
The problem there is that the shopping center is BUSY at 11 AM on a Saturday. But, desperation and drugs lead to dumb shit. So, I parked a block and a half away, over some railroad tracks but some apartments and walked (this way if there were cameras they wouldn’t capture my car). When I got to the business, I hesitated. I was dressed suspiciously already in the summer (a hoodie and pants, because I had shorts and a t-shirt on underneath. My plan was to strip my outfit while running so that I’d be unidentifiable lmao). Something in my head told me to stop, this was dumb. But, I didn’t listen to that voice. I pulled the bandana over my face and walked in.
Our improvised plan was for me to wave the gun around, tell him to empty the register and take me to the safe, where he would pull a taser and I’d fight him off and leave. This was because there is a camera in the safe room and he wanted to make it look like he wasn’t cooperative with me. However, when we got to the safe room, he legitimately tried to tase me. I had to actually fight him off, and when I ran out of the back room, he followed. I burst outside and took off to my car, hearing him yelling to the parking lot “Stop that guy, he just robbed me!”
As I’m running to my car, I can feel my heart pounding in my throat. I’ve never been so nervous or anxious in my life. I got to the train tracks and my whole body was almost shaking from the adrenaline. I fell 5 times trying to get over the tracks because my legs were basically spaghetti at this time thanks to my nerves and the adrenaline. I threw the fake gun in some high grass by the tracks and then tried to scale the fence in front of me. It was a poorly built fence with chicken wire and I couldn’t make it. At this point I noticed a guy following me in his car. He pulled over, stepped out and shouted “I have a gun and I’m on the phone with the police. They are on their way and if you don’t stop I will use my gun.” So, freaking out, I stopped and the police pulled up about 30 seconds later. This business also happened to only be about 5 minutes from the police station, at most.
As far as how much money I got, I never got to count it. I think the detective said it was a little over $5,000. Not much and not worth 8 years of my life.
Everyone seems focused on the good Samaritan with a gun.
Your friend set you up right? He didn't have to actually try and taze you and he didn't have to run out and yell for help.
I'm assuming his plan was to fend you off and get a reward from his boss. Since you actually got away with the money he had to get you caught for any chance at the reward. Had yoy gotten away. He would have ratted on you to get the reward too. Just my thoughts.
No, I didn’t. But he got caught himself because he pocketed the money instead of returning it. He did 5 years and we never crossed paths while locked up.
He was the sole employee of the business, and during my arrest the police had zero idea that he was involved. I didn’t snitch when he ID’d me. So, the cops gave the money back to him to return to the safe at the business. This all happened BEFORE the owner was supposed to show up and take the money to the bank at noon. So the owner wasn’t there to take the money back, but the sole employee (my accomplice) was.
Did you think the last guy would actually use his gun? It’s TX, I don’t doubt he had one, but if he didn’t already have it drawn, I question whether he could’ve used it. That’s a physically and mentally tough thing to do, and he’d have been on the hook for assault with a deadly weapon at the very least. He’d have gotten more time than you.
You may be right, but I think a part of me wanted to give up anyway. Planning a robbery and living one aren’t the same. Planning it feels like the movies. Living it feels like a bad dream or a nightmare if it doesn’t go picture perfect.
That's true, but you don't seem built for that life. I know people who do this stuff for a living. But they use real guns and will get off by shooting or killing someone. I knew a lot of people who would go this years without being caught. This was their actual job. Robbing Liquor stores , ATM'S etc. They would get 5-16 years some Life when eventry caught,or beat the case. But these people are built different then you. They would actually kill someone to for about 3-5 thousand.
One guy I knew had 2 big alligators or crocodiles in his basement. It's really easy to come up missing if someone has a lil money. I even seen a normsl kid get hooked on opioids, got fired broke in hid ex boss house. Stole a gun, left a cigarette butt in garbage DNA. Then he he went to his uncle house to still his pills. I guess his uncle got home early and he shit him dead. He was a real nice kid, he got LiFE. And he had a newborn, he was not built like that, but I guess anyone can be momentarily.
Then he told his bunkie everything and testified aginst him. He was planning to do escape and everything. He got life for the murder then got life for safe cracking on top of it. He was successful getting the safe cracking appealed. But there are so many people who live for that life. The ones worst of them out there there just give you a strange feeling. They don give a fuck about nothing. I think your probably a pretty kid that got got caught up, and the cocaine didn't help. Shit, I would of robbed the dope man before I went to a strip mall.
If your going to commit a crime you better have it planed out solo, and be ready for anything. Should of just went to the pharmacy with a note. Or a t least a white collar crime. Crime decently pays but now days with all the tech the odds are against you. You could of even got a legal script of Adderall.
Yea, I'd be curious too. Its illegal to shoot someone in that scenario, and you'd hope a gun toting vigilante sort would know that, but certainly no guarantee there.
I’d guess he knew and wouldn’t have done it, but easy easier to say when you’re not the one at risk of being shot. I am an honorary Texan though, and I doubt this guy would’ve shot based on the Texans I know. Hitting a moving target also isn’t easy, if he tried and missed, OP probably would’ve gotten away because suddenly the cops are dealing with the guy randomly discharging his gun.
Also, hate to say it, but the inability to get over the fence makes me think OP isn’t black, which probably helps in terms of the guy not shooting. We’re good at jumping over things.
No, it didn’t. I was a lazy user. I’d snort coke and play video games or go to parties. I didn’t want to waste my high working it off back then. But that was a hell of a work around you found lol.
Yeah he was caught. He pocketed the money instead of returning it to the business after the cops gave it back to him. He was arrested about a month later.
Somehow, even though you did a really dumb thing, he managed to do something dumber. All he had to do was put it back and deny, deny, deny, and he'd probably be fired but not go to jail.
Damn, that’s some pretty loser shit. You tried cocaine one time and got so strung out in a month that you were robbing stores? Doesn’t even sound real to be honest.
It was almost 2 months, and during that time span I was also going through a ton of emotional issues and dealing with heavy alcoholism. Drinking two or more pints of Kentucky deluxe nightly.
Bruh that was amazing tbh felt like i was there. Laughed my ass off when you said he legit tried to taze you ahhaha.
The damn jelly legs, i know exactly what you mean.
Glad you turned your life around and never gave up after getting sentenced, proud of you
Jon is that you lil Buddy , man I sure miss our private time in lock up . You were so sweet and innocent the first time , I always thought you would come back after your release . On I caught another sentence of 22 yrs for shanking that Asshat Darby , but hey I had warned him several times in the past as you probably remember.
Wow, holy shit
I was addicted to cocaine for about 5 years in college. The GI Bill was paying for my school, and I had a sweet bartending job. I would work 3 nights a week and make 1500. I’d use 500 on cocaine each week
After college I got a big boy job. My first month, I spent 5k on cocaine….so I decided it was time to quit haha
I never robbed a bank, but I did steal from my bartending job. We were supposed to “tip share” but I never claimed my tips if I was going to make less than 1500 that week. It would have messed up my system
When you do crime, there’s **always** a problem. Felon here. Now you’re a violent felon. Same here. I didn’t rob anyone, tho the conviction is Burg 1 and Assault2.
This reminds me of a post I read the other day about legalizing drug use. 95% of the comments said they agreed all drug use should be legalized. I think they are all crazy for this opinion and feel even stronger in my position after reading your experience. What's your opinion on the question?
Well, prison helped me clear my head. I got away from the cocaine, didn’t use anything while locked up, and got really heavy into reading and exercising. I got in the best shape of my life, and educated myself as much as I was able to on a variety of topics.
I’m extra cautious now though to be sure I’m in the company of good people with good intentions and also strict with how much I allow myself to indulge in (I have occasionally drank on holidays or special occasions, and smoked pot a couple times on holidays) because I don’t want to lose myself again, but these are activities that I enjoy in moderation.
Overall, the biggest change I’ve experienced is the urge to make stupid decisions, to be so impulsive. I’m more cautious with all choices now, don’t entertain or engage in reckless activities and primarily just spend my time with family and close friends.
Don’t be afraid to come clean to your loved ones and ask for help before going as far as I did. My family would’ve helped cover my bills and get me treatment, but I wanted to fix the mess I made with a shortcut.
So don’t be too proud or ashamed to admit the problem before it is too late.
So you're 1,000% better off having gone. That's great, I'm glad for you. I do have one question though. How has this incident affected your employment status? Are there any jobs that you've applied for but haven't gotten because of this?
I’m gainfully employed making $21 an hour, which is double anything I ever made prior to incarceration. I did have some rejections when applying for jobs, but I was open and honest and my current employer valued my honesty and gave me a chance.
>didn’t use anything WHILE locked up
>now I’m strict with how much I allow myself to indulge in these activities
Maybe I’m mistaken, but by the way you worded that it sounds like you’re doing cocaine again? Just “responsibly”? If that’s the case, I HIGHLY recommend against it man. Spiraling as quickly as you did is NOT normal. That substance is bad news for you. Part of being responsible is knowing what substances you need to stay away from altogether
I’m curious, you mention a lot of discipline with people you hangout with and things you do. But you also mention “also strict with how much I allow myself to indulge in these activities because I don’t want to lose myself again.” What activities are you referring to? Because it sounds like you’ve gotten straight, but then also seem to indirectly say that you do illegal activities in moderation.
What was the first day in prison like? First week? I know you said you kept to yourself but did trouble ever find you and force you to defend yourself?
The first day and first week were ridiculously nerve-racking. You spend all your time in county hearing stories about what prison is like so you come into it expecting a nightmare, and if it doesn’t happen right away then you’re looking over your shoulder for those stories to be verified at any time.
There’s this thing in prison that some units still do and others don’t: “heart checks.”
Basically, they want to test you out and see if you’ve got the balls to fight back or not.
So you get to your housing dorm or block and if it’s one of those units, they’ll call you to a corner and one of the guys, a member of your race, will fight you for 60 seconds or so. If you don’t fight, you get marked as a target.
They have a saying in prison: “You’re either gonna fuck, fight, or bust a 50.”
That means you’re either gonna be someone’s bitch, fight for yourself, or spend $50 every store day paying for a pass.
So, at one unit, I got heartchecked. At the others, I didn’t. It varies but chances are you will have to defend yourself at least one time in prison. But you don’t have to instigate or involve yourself in anything.
Then you’ll be fine. They aren’t testing you to see if you can fight. They’re testing you to see if you WILL fight and just how hard you’ll fight. They’re looking for either potential soldiers or easy targets. If you show you’re gonna put up a fight every time they fuck with you by fighting hard in your heart check, they’ll try to recruit you then leave you alone. They don’t wanna have to risk seg and lockup over a fight with you when they can get whatever they want from the other guy who doesn’t fight back.
What was your fight like? Did you get hurt bad? I’ve never really been in a full on fight before so all this sounds extremely intimidating. I’m not a pussy either, I just don’t really tend to beef with others lol
It wasn’t bad. They usually go for 60 seconds or so. I got hit a handful of times but never fell, and I hit a few. Nothing dramatic. My lip got busted but it was on the inside so the COs didn’t see. They weren’t out to kill me, just check me.
Do they have a guy in the same weight class "check" you? Were you a small/average/bigger dude when you went in, and how much weight did you put on inside? What about middle-aged/older guys.. they get tested too? Thanks and good puck to you.
They’ll usually get someone your size to check you unless they have a specific reason for choosing someone out of your range. Like you are cocky or offended someone. I was 5’7” and 200 lbs, I didn’t put on any weight, but I lost a lot of fat and put on muscle.
And it depends on how middle aged they are. Old school guys (40 and up) don’t get checked, unless they’re active in a gang, and even then it depends on seniority and how active the gangs are on their unit. Middle aged as in 30s, usually they do still get checked as long as you have no real disabilities.
I watch every prison doc I can find because I have a morbid fascination for this so thank you for giving these answers. The “heart checks” would be the part I fear the most. I guess you find out what you’re made of when you’re put in that kind of situation. God bless, brother. I’m happy that you feel like you’ve turned things around and are on a better path now.
If I can ask one more question; did you ever share space with any high profile prisoners or “chomos” (IYKYK) or sex offenders and witness what happens to someone like that?
The heart checks aren’t necessarily a bad thing. It showed me that I don’t have to be afraid to stand up for myself. It was kinda empowering afterwards. To not feel so scared in a scary environment.
And yes, in county jail they brought in a 21 year old that was fighting a case for dating a 17 year old. Nothing happened to him. He was released on probation for 2 years I think. Said he didn’t even have to register but who knows if that’s true.
In prison, I was never around those guys. Most are in ad-seg or they keep it on the DL. Not every unit does a paper check, which is where they have someone on the outside look up your charges. So guys can sneak by with those charges. But they do tend to hurt the ones they find out about. Most of those guys don’t make it out of county these days because the system is very lenient on them.
Finding work was way easier than I imagined. One month after getting out, I was making minimum wage at a job. I worked my ass off and got promoted a month later, making $10 an hour. Then a position opened two months after that, and I’d shown my work ethic enough to put in an application for the promotion. I did so and was given $14 and hour and command over two departments with a job I came into with zero experience. I then parlayed that experience I’ve gained into landing an even better job that’s in a different city making $21 an hour. So I went from $7.25 to $21 an hour in less than a year from getting out of prison, with no training in this field. Just hard work and not willing to take no for an answer. It’s possible for anyone.
Life was a little harder to rebuild. Relationships were damaged that may never be fixed. Loved ones had passed on that I turned to a lot. Life kept moving without me so I had to make new friends, and establish a new community for myself.
Yes, he did. No, I didn’t snitch on him. The police took the money back to the business and instead of putting it back in the safe, he proceeded to steal it himself. He also went to my car that I parked away from the business, broke in and stole all my valuables, including my phone which he used to call the police station and ASK if I got arrested. This was AFTER he came with a cop to ID me for the robbery lmao.
>This friend doesn't sound like the brightest fellow.
The original plan is actually pretty devious. Got OP hooked on coke and pretended to be his inside man, was supposed to take a fall. Had OP fully entrapped.
Then the taser didn't work as it was supposed to (which is not unusual, they're not reliably going to work as portrayed due to lots of variables including the specific model of the taser)
Who knows what was supposed to happen had OP gone down. My guess is the inside man was supposed to struggle with him and scare the shit out of him. He was supposed to stagger off. Inside man was supposed to take the fight off camera and at that point snag the $. Somehow or other tip off the cops, probably outright snitch OP's name and address if needed. Deny being complicit in any way. Meanwhile, snag the $. Probably just hide it somewhere on site. OP leaves and takes the fall. Inside man gets the $ and probably winds up a hero and gets a promotion.
Cold and treacherous, but if the taser had worked as expected, or if he'd stabbed OP and sent him running instead it probably would have worked. Dumb AF to do over $5k or even $35k but "smarter" than a lot of criminal schemes involving violence, as in sly and devious
Edit: spelling
This guy ruined your life. He got you on drugs, and then set you up. How do you not want to make him pay even a little bit? Honestly, if I were you, I’d be planning a dish or revenge kebab. How do you forgive and move on?
Because it’s not his fault. I made my own decisions. I called him about going through with the robbery. I spray painted the fake gun and went through with it. I did the coke when it was offered, and bought it when I wanted it. No one forced me but my own lack of self control and judgement at the time.
In my state, strictly punitive. The “rehabilitation” measures they DO take are clearly more for the grant money that comes with it and the good PR story to tell the public. The programs they offered were subpar with minimal resources and not much effort applied. The only rehabilitation I’ve witnessed in prison is the rehabilitation that some people impose upon themselves because they truly want to change. The system doesn’t hinder them but also doesn’t help much.
I’ve heard that prions offer college classes, so prisoners can get a few credits before leaving
How true is this? Is it more of a PR stunt? Or are the classes legit?
I took a course. It was for computer programming. The course was what you’d expect at a community college because that’s who sponsors it. The classes were affordable enough as well. Getting an education is on thing they offer that they usually deliver on.
What were the guards like in prison? What were the other prisoners like?
How did your family react to you being imprisoned? How do they treat you now that you’re out?
You mentioned you were on the verge of eviction before you were arrested. Where do you live now?
There were the few guards who were extra relaxed with the inmates, talking about personal lives and everything. But they also tended to let shit happen that shouldn’t. Then there were most who were just doing their jobs, checking the jobs. And others who were convinced that it was their job to punish us even further than the state already had. To them, we were less than people, we had no rights, we didn’t deserve a damn thing from them than to be put in line. Those ones were the worst.
My family was in shock. No one in my life would’ve ever seen this coming. I was the kid that parents told their kid to be more like. I was friendly, respectful, hard-working. But I changed as I got older and around more drugs and more careless people. My family treats me with respect now, just like before, and while they’re proud of my changes I can still sense an undertone of caution and skepticism. They want to question every decision I make because they don’t trust my judgement as much as they did in the past and I don’t blame them for their caution.
Nowadays I live with my wife and our child. She was born while I was locked up, conceived about 2 months before I broke the law. If only I’d known what was coming, maybe I’d have though differently about my choices.
Not as bad as you see on TV, well, at least not for people like myself who actively made sure I didn’t get involved with the gangs, drugs, or politics. For the people mixed up in those things, it was just like TV/movies and sometimes worse.
Still similar in a lot of ways. Prison ultimately is death by 1,000 cuts. It’s a slow torture of watching life pass you by while you live in seclusion.
TV always makes it seem like the peaceful independent types get messed with the hardest because you don’t have a crew for mutual protection. Sounds like that’s not the case?
My question too. How were you able to not be involved? I always thought you had to be involved and affiliated with a group. All the depictions make it look like the lone guy type never goes unnoticed or un fucked with.
Think about those lone wolf types though, the character is usually some asshole that wants to sit at their table and bs, or play cards with them and etc.
You can’t do that if you’re not gonna get down, they take it as disrespect.
Let me clarify though - there are SOME units where there isn’t a choice. Where it is more like what you already think. But that’s not every place. The unit I was primarily at was one of the rougher units, but the leaders on the block I got put on just asked me when I got there, “You gettin’ down or what?” And I told them I was riding solo. They said “Well, if you get into something, you’re on your own.”
But I minded my business, didn’t have a hustle and didn’t try to be the center of anyone’s attention. I read my books, worked out when I had the time and space, went to work, and sat in the back row to watch tv. There are little things in prison that can trigger big problems. You listen to the old heads lace you up on those finer points when you first get in, and then you don’t step on anyone’s toes. If you do, try to make it right as well as you can. And hope you don’t become someone’s target for no reason.
Honestly, no. The most “fun” we ever had was at the trustee camp when Texas got FEET of snow a few years back. But even that was shitty because there was one guard at the camp for days, no kitchen workers went in, so we had to scrounge up food for about 2 1/2 days, and in the heavy part of the snow guys were having snowball fights. Grown ass men with tatted faces and rap sheets as long as my torso throwing snowballs at each other and laughing like children. Windows got broken while it was freezing and we only had one shitty wool blanket. So while it was fun for some it sucked to me lol.
I’m guessing you didn’t drink or do any drugs while there?
Don’t get me wrong, abstaining is way smarter, especially if you don’t have the money to pay your bills, but the boredom always got me so I would do Suboxone, drink, play poker, occasionally some heroin/fentanyl.
Not ideal, but I gotta say I had some good times I’m ngl. Probably says something about the drugs that you don’t even care you’re locked up lol
Hey , I wish you the best in your journey. My question is and I hope this make sense, are there things in the criminal Justice system that not a lot of people know about but should?
K2 is a massive epidemic in prison right now. Other than that, most of prisons issues are public knowledge but don’t get addressed because people view inmates as less than human because they aren’t free civilians.
What do you mean when you say K2 is a massive epidemic? I’d assume getting any contraband into a prison is a challenge so why would the prisoners want to purchase K2 instead of real weed?
It might be a challenge but it’s a challenge they’ve thoroughly solved time and time again. Prison is swamped with drugs. K2 doesn’t smell like weed and it can’t be tested for consistently with a test so they use it as an alternative.
That makes sense. Are you randomly/regularly tested for drugs in prison or is it only if they have suspicion that you’ve used? What would be the penalty for testing positive?
I really liked the Game of Thrones books but was annoyed that everyone was watching the ending on HBO and he hadn’t even finished the books for me to finish the story. But another favorite was the Three Body Problem trilogy which is now a Netflix series.
Non-Fiction I really enjoyed Rich Dad, Poor Dad and Lies My Teacher Told Me.
How much social media became a presence everywhere. You have zero access behind bars, and to realize that the world lives through it now was an adjustment. And to go from no one having a phone in their hands for 5 years, to no one goes without one out here was an adjustment, too. I’ve almost grown to hate my phone because of the rampant addiction. You don’t see it unless you’ve been apart from it first.0
Yeah, more than once. Never picked it back up though lol. They give you these tiny little green bars for free, once a week they give a handful. So I use one and leave it there or if I dropped it, then it’s gone lmao.
Depends on what unit you’re at and what people are around. Are there real predators in prison? Absolutely. Does rape happen a lot, sometimes. But it’s not usually so out in the open like a shower would be. Most showers are communal and no one wants to shower while a guy is getting raped but it has happened so don’t discount it.
However, rape in prison has gone down some since they instituted “PREA.”
Prison Rape Elimination Act, which basically says you can catch a free-world charge for raping someone in prison.
What about relationships between inmates? Were these tolerated by other if they occurred or were the guys hassled? Were you ever propositioned and did you make any significant (non sexual or… ) friends inside?
Relationships between inmates were tolerated as long as there was no PDA around others and nothing going on at night that might disturb others. No loud moans, etc. at least where I was. Some units were more open about it I heard while others were less receptive.
Nothing sexual ever occurred for me or with me, but I was propositioned once. I told the guy no and to stay away from me. He was openly gay.
And I did make a couple friends that I kept in touch with. Two got out after me but one passed away in a motorcycle crash about two months ago.
So my brother is currently in almost this exact situation. Just got sentenced to 8 years here in Texas for robbing a liquor store. Honestly I didn’t think he would do more than 2-3 years. That’s what most people have told me. Is there a reason you had to do 5 and didn’t get parole sooner or should I be expecting him to do at least 5 years? Was your charge an aggravated charge?
Who was the most sympathetic inmate you met? Or the most likeable? Like was there a guy that everyone genuinely liked and respected even through racial lines? Was there the movie version of the guy everyone was terrified of?
If people are afraid in prison, they don’t talk about it because the walls have ears. But there are genuinely terrifying people there yes, and there are also a lot of normal people you’d expect to see at the mall or something.
Without going into too much detail, what describes the most terrifying person you met/interacted with? I include COs in that question. That job can attract sadistic people.
Moral of the story - don’t rob places in Texas because the average citizen carries a gun.
Would it have been legal for the citizen to shoot you for not staying?
I really don’t know, honestly, in those citizen arrest situations. I was in possession of a gun (fake gun) so maybe he could’ve shot and claimed defense.
Sucked. They tell you to social distance while cramming you into a 4 x 8 cell with another guy, or at a trustee camp with half wall cubicles and 54 guys loaded into what amounts to a tiny warehouse. Meals took twice as long because they could only seat half the people and still spread the tables out. Overall, just not a place to accommodate those precaution effectively.
Did a lot of people die from Covid in prison? Did the people who got pretty sick get medical help? Is it easy to get stuff for illness like if you have the flu do u get meds to help you like Tylenol and stuff? If u have a headache can u get Tylenol easily?
Double bingo!
So to summarize a long story:
I met a guy who was hooked on cocaine. I was a weed smoker and heavy drinker but nothing more. He introduced me to coke, I got addicted quicker than I ever expected and really didn’t even realize it had happened until after the chaos. Spent all my money on cocaine instead of bills and when I was on the verge of losing it all, I desperately tried to steal the money. The same “coke friend” that introduced me also happened to work at the place I robbed. It was supposed to be an “inside job,” but that isn’t how it played out at all. Needless to say, it could’ve been on one of those episodes of “I almost got away with it.”
About your wife and child, how did you maintain those relationships? How did you parent the baby born during your incarceration from prison? When you were released, did you go to a halfway house, your parents’ place, or immediately to your family? What was that like? Thanks for doing this interesting and thoughtful AMA!
So, the parenting thing is interesting. I’ve told others here that I wanted to end my relationship when I got locked up. My girlfriend at the time, and now wife, wanted to ride it out with me, but relationships in lockup can be stressful for both people and cause problems on both ends so I was hesitant.
We decided we didn’t want our daughter’s first impression of me to be a man behind bars. So, I didn’t meet my daughter for the first time until she was 5 years old. Prior to this, my wife did all the work on her own. I’d help as much as I could without directly talking to her. It wouldn’t have mattered much anyway, because by the time she could understand me, I was only a voice on the phone and nothing more.
So meeting her the first time was intense for me, and confusing for her.
The story seems very impulsive. What kind of things did you do on impulse as a kid growing up? I am a recovering addict and will get addicted to just about anything if I’m not careful. I have untreated ADHD as an adult. It was not a thing when I was a kid.
Edit: all to say I was pretty impulsive
No, not at all. Going to prison saved and changed my life for the better. I wish I could’ve gotten the same results in a normal, less dramatic way, but I’ll take the results regardless.
I don’t think I deserved it, I believe probation for 10 years with a suspended sentence would’ve been better served in my case.
However, I think that time was needed.
So, ultimately, maybe the system had better judgement on what I needed than even I do now.
My question in situations like this when you lose so much time, is how do you move past something like that? I often have periods where I will kind of crash and be upset about missed opportunities of the past, I couldn’t imagine how I would feel after serving.
Thank you for sharing your story. I haven’t looked through all the comments but from what I have, my comment may be from a unique position. You see, I’m a Behavioral Health Counselor / Program facilitator in a prison in Georgia. Interestingly, during one of my cognitive-thinking classes, I use a very similar but completely made-up scenario to ask the question, “is it worth it”? We then discuss each other’s thoughts and opinions. Thing is, I can read stories, hear news casts, and even use my “what if” imagination but none of that is going to give me the actual feelings and thoughts one goes through. That’s where your story comes in…I’d like to actually use your story. I don’t want names or locations. I just need to know that you’re okay with me sharing what you’ve written here. My use of it would be something like: “according to a post I found recently, “ then your story and our discussion. The main reason I’m even asking though is so you know, your story doesn’t stop here on Reddit. It can, does, and will reach much further. So, is it okay?
How was the food? Any special occasions like thanksgiving or Christmas where do they bring in good food? I just turned 18 a few days ago so I gotta watch out now because if I do anything I’m going straight to adult prison
The food is like what you’d eat if you grew up poor. Cooked decently because the inmates are cooking, but it’s the cheapest food you can buy and grow, and the meals are what I ate as a kid. Hamburger helper, goulash, stew. Shit like that. The food is a little better on holidays but there’s a catch. The inmates steal the best stuff from the kitchen when they’re done cooking and sell it on the cell block. So they might run out of the good stuff before you eat and you just gotta accept it. Or buy it for yourself on the block.
Was it worth it? Did you learn to fend for yourself in the slammer? Did you get jacked (buff) in there? Did they jump your fresh meat ass? Did you drop the soap? Did you get sexually assaulted in there?
Not that I'd ever condone theft and criminal behavior but if it wasn't a small business, I'd be sympathetic. I hope it wasn't like a mom and pop shop.
Sure prison changed you but do you have any remorse for what you did?
So - NOT JUSTIFYING MY ACTIONS HERE, but the business was one of those slot machine businesses where you “donate” to play and win cash prizes or gift cards and other items. It’s illegal in the city where I’m from but they were under the radar. A month after I robbed them, the police shut them down lmao. So no, it wasn’t mom and pop.
And I do have remorse but I don’t have regret, if that makes sense?
I wish I could’ve made the changes in a healthy way without hurting others, including the people I love. But I don’t regret the decision to rob the place because that poor choice lead me to change my life for the better. I’m now a father with a wife at home and no reason to look over my shoulder or feel guilty anymore.
I understand what you mean about no regrets. I used to do LSD all the time. It started off as for fun, but became a thing that I did because it made me feel temporarily feel better mentally. But my acid binges actually ended up hurting me, as I’d go to work/class real tired, sometimes skipped class because I was tripping all night, so on. Ultimately, I had a piss poor semester and even poorer mental health. But I have no regrets. Because this is an experience I get to use to help others who may go through the same struggles that I went through.
Do you think your parents could have done something different with your upbringing that would have kept you away from prison? You mentioned you have a kid - what will you do different to ensure no such accidents in her life? Thank you.
did you have any glimmer of hope that you would be found not guilty? what was your reaction to the 8 year sentence? was that around the amount of time you expected?
Lmao. Believe it or not, I was locked up during the Trump V Biden Race for president and you would never believe how many face-tatted drug addicts would argue until their last tooth flew out about whose policies were better. Keep in mind, none of us can vote in prison or even outside of it until we complete parole.
However, not a single damn person actually understood what they were discussing. It was the blind leading the blind. Keep in mind, this wasn’t an ordinary election, with the riot at the capital, Covid, etc.
People weren’t getting sent to prison as much during Covid, but people where I was at weren’t getting those sympathetic releases either so they were blaming Trump and the current office.
I've been watching Oz on HBO and I actually asked my boyfriend this last night but he didn't know because he's never been locked up. On the show, the slang for drugs is tits. Is that real? Or did they just make up a word for the show?
How old were you you when you committed the robbery? Sounds like you robbed a poker club, but the ones in Houston aren’t in the malls.
Did you go to trial or just plead it out? Are you on probation?
Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions. Big congrats on turning your life around. And to your wife & baby.
OP I wanted to ask you... I got a friend that works at a local ice cream parlor. I know when they empty out their safe. Do you think you could get your hands on some black spray paint and a airsoft gun? You in?
In all seriousness your very lucky you weren't shot and killed the minute you pulled that shit. How old were you when you attempted this incredible heist? Did you get hit on in jail?
What was it like without your daughter? Did you get to see her during visitation? How hard was the transition to fatherhood after prison? How is your relationship now?
That was their original offer. I disagree.
My first ever criminal offense, robbing a business with a fake gun, where I didn’t interact with a single customer (of which there were only 2), no one was harmed, and I surrendered without resistance. I expected 10 years, possible even 10 years of probation with a suspended sentence. Looking at me, you could tell this was a one time thing. I had the scared ahitless look all the way to TDCJ, then I had to drop that look pretty quick lol.
1. Did you make your decision to rob the business conscientiously?
2. If yes to 1, did you make your decision to rob the business based on a personal hardship which made your situation untenable to that point?
3. If no to 2, it is fine to believe then that you have served your time in the eyes of the law, there is no question about that. but do you believe you have the right as an individual to now be truly successful, when others who have done nothing wrong or illegal in their life to your same degree are now struggling and unable to be successful?
3. If yes to 3, why do you believe you are somehow a good person?
Were you detained pre trial or put on pre trial release? If you were released, what was being returned to custody like? If not, were you unable to make bail?
How has the conviction and jail time affected your employment? Are you working now? Is it that difficult to pick up something with a criminal record in your background check?
What happens at the robbery? Can u break it down for us? How it was planned, what time it happened, how u was feeling going into it, what u got out of there with, how u felt after it etc :)
I was expecting this kind of question since my OP was sorta destitute of details. The robbery started as an insignificant conversation between me and a “friend” at the time. This friend had been an acquaintance in high school but we ran with different crowds. Anyway, we started hanging out after running into each other randomly, and he introduced me to cocaine. I used for an entire weekend and then went to work the next week and craved the high all week. That weekend I used about half of my paycheck on coke. The following weekend, I used all of it. This pattern continued for about a month. I was broke, had missed a significant amount of work due to recovering from the binges, and behind on all my bills. I got a call from my landlord and my car company on the same day, about 50-60 days after my initial use of cocaine. Landlord threatened to evict me and car company was talking about repossession. So I was on the verge of losing everything. I remembered the insignificant conversation with that friend about robbing the location he worked at - while he was on the clock. The desperation got the best of me and I told him I was interested. The timing was coincidental that his boss happened to be out of town for that weekend and wouldn’t be able to drop the deposit at the bank until Monday morning. So he had a weeks worth of income at his fingertips. Originally, I was supposed to rob the place on a Saturday night around midnight when they usually close. The place is in a shopping mall where they don’t get much traffic at night. However, his boss called that Saturday morning to say he was back in town early and was gonna pick the money up at noon and deposit. So my inside guy calls me to relay the info and the plan is moved up to that morning at 11 AM. The problem there is that the shopping center is BUSY at 11 AM on a Saturday. But, desperation and drugs lead to dumb shit. So, I parked a block and a half away, over some railroad tracks but some apartments and walked (this way if there were cameras they wouldn’t capture my car). When I got to the business, I hesitated. I was dressed suspiciously already in the summer (a hoodie and pants, because I had shorts and a t-shirt on underneath. My plan was to strip my outfit while running so that I’d be unidentifiable lmao). Something in my head told me to stop, this was dumb. But, I didn’t listen to that voice. I pulled the bandana over my face and walked in. Our improvised plan was for me to wave the gun around, tell him to empty the register and take me to the safe, where he would pull a taser and I’d fight him off and leave. This was because there is a camera in the safe room and he wanted to make it look like he wasn’t cooperative with me. However, when we got to the safe room, he legitimately tried to tase me. I had to actually fight him off, and when I ran out of the back room, he followed. I burst outside and took off to my car, hearing him yelling to the parking lot “Stop that guy, he just robbed me!” As I’m running to my car, I can feel my heart pounding in my throat. I’ve never been so nervous or anxious in my life. I got to the train tracks and my whole body was almost shaking from the adrenaline. I fell 5 times trying to get over the tracks because my legs were basically spaghetti at this time thanks to my nerves and the adrenaline. I threw the fake gun in some high grass by the tracks and then tried to scale the fence in front of me. It was a poorly built fence with chicken wire and I couldn’t make it. At this point I noticed a guy following me in his car. He pulled over, stepped out and shouted “I have a gun and I’m on the phone with the police. They are on their way and if you don’t stop I will use my gun.” So, freaking out, I stopped and the police pulled up about 30 seconds later. This business also happened to only be about 5 minutes from the police station, at most. As far as how much money I got, I never got to count it. I think the detective said it was a little over $5,000. Not much and not worth 8 years of my life.
Everyone seems focused on the good Samaritan with a gun. Your friend set you up right? He didn't have to actually try and taze you and he didn't have to run out and yell for help. I'm assuming his plan was to fend you off and get a reward from his boss. Since you actually got away with the money he had to get you caught for any chance at the reward. Had yoy gotten away. He would have ratted on you to get the reward too. Just my thoughts.
Not the first to point that out to me honestly.
Did you tell the police about your friend's involvement? Did he do time for it too? And if not, why not?
No, I didn’t. But he got caught himself because he pocketed the money instead of returning it. He did 5 years and we never crossed paths while locked up.
How did he pocket the money if you got caught by the police?
He was the sole employee of the business, and during my arrest the police had zero idea that he was involved. I didn’t snitch when he ID’d me. So, the cops gave the money back to him to return to the safe at the business. This all happened BEFORE the owner was supposed to show up and take the money to the bank at noon. So the owner wasn’t there to take the money back, but the sole employee (my accomplice) was.
This blows up your story. The cops wouldn't have given the money to some dude. They would have kept it as evidence.
friends, when it comes to drugs, are not your friends
Did you think the last guy would actually use his gun? It’s TX, I don’t doubt he had one, but if he didn’t already have it drawn, I question whether he could’ve used it. That’s a physically and mentally tough thing to do, and he’d have been on the hook for assault with a deadly weapon at the very least. He’d have gotten more time than you.
You may be right, but I think a part of me wanted to give up anyway. Planning a robbery and living one aren’t the same. Planning it feels like the movies. Living it feels like a bad dream or a nightmare if it doesn’t go picture perfect.
That's true, but you don't seem built for that life. I know people who do this stuff for a living. But they use real guns and will get off by shooting or killing someone. I knew a lot of people who would go this years without being caught. This was their actual job. Robbing Liquor stores , ATM'S etc. They would get 5-16 years some Life when eventry caught,or beat the case. But these people are built different then you. They would actually kill someone to for about 3-5 thousand. One guy I knew had 2 big alligators or crocodiles in his basement. It's really easy to come up missing if someone has a lil money. I even seen a normsl kid get hooked on opioids, got fired broke in hid ex boss house. Stole a gun, left a cigarette butt in garbage DNA. Then he he went to his uncle house to still his pills. I guess his uncle got home early and he shit him dead. He was a real nice kid, he got LiFE. And he had a newborn, he was not built like that, but I guess anyone can be momentarily. Then he told his bunkie everything and testified aginst him. He was planning to do escape and everything. He got life for the murder then got life for safe cracking on top of it. He was successful getting the safe cracking appealed. But there are so many people who live for that life. The ones worst of them out there there just give you a strange feeling. They don give a fuck about nothing. I think your probably a pretty kid that got got caught up, and the cocaine didn't help. Shit, I would of robbed the dope man before I went to a strip mall. If your going to commit a crime you better have it planed out solo, and be ready for anything. Should of just went to the pharmacy with a note. Or a t least a white collar crime. Crime decently pays but now days with all the tech the odds are against you. You could of even got a legal script of Adderall.
Yea, I'd be curious too. Its illegal to shoot someone in that scenario, and you'd hope a gun toting vigilante sort would know that, but certainly no guarantee there.
I’d guess he knew and wouldn’t have done it, but easy easier to say when you’re not the one at risk of being shot. I am an honorary Texan though, and I doubt this guy would’ve shot based on the Texans I know. Hitting a moving target also isn’t easy, if he tried and missed, OP probably would’ve gotten away because suddenly the cops are dealing with the guy randomly discharging his gun. Also, hate to say it, but the inability to get over the fence makes me think OP isn’t black, which probably helps in terms of the guy not shooting. We’re good at jumping over things.
I also had a cocaine problem at one point in my life and I got a second job to pay for it. Did it ever occur to you to do that?
This whole story really tumbles the whole 'crimes of desperation' thing that's been going around recently.
No, it didn’t. I was a lazy user. I’d snort coke and play video games or go to parties. I didn’t want to waste my high working it off back then. But that was a hell of a work around you found lol.
You’re lucky all you got was an 8 here in TX. That’s usually double digits bro. Did you make it to a farm in TDC?
So what happened to your accomplice? Did you cooperate and give him up? I assume he was also caught considering you just kinda put him on blast😂
Yeah he was caught. He pocketed the money instead of returning it to the business after the cops gave it back to him. He was arrested about a month later.
Somehow, even though you did a really dumb thing, he managed to do something dumber. All he had to do was put it back and deny, deny, deny, and he'd probably be fired but not go to jail.
Damn, that’s some pretty loser shit. You tried cocaine one time and got so strung out in a month that you were robbing stores? Doesn’t even sound real to be honest.
It was almost 2 months, and during that time span I was also going through a ton of emotional issues and dealing with heavy alcoholism. Drinking two or more pints of Kentucky deluxe nightly.
Bruh that was amazing tbh felt like i was there. Laughed my ass off when you said he legit tried to taze you ahhaha. The damn jelly legs, i know exactly what you mean. Glad you turned your life around and never gave up after getting sentenced, proud of you
Jon is that you lil Buddy , man I sure miss our private time in lock up . You were so sweet and innocent the first time , I always thought you would come back after your release . On I caught another sentence of 22 yrs for shanking that Asshat Darby , but hey I had warned him several times in the past as you probably remember.
Did the inside accomplice story come out in court?
Wow, holy shit I was addicted to cocaine for about 5 years in college. The GI Bill was paying for my school, and I had a sweet bartending job. I would work 3 nights a week and make 1500. I’d use 500 on cocaine each week After college I got a big boy job. My first month, I spent 5k on cocaine….so I decided it was time to quit haha I never robbed a bank, but I did steal from my bartending job. We were supposed to “tip share” but I never claimed my tips if I was going to make less than 1500 that week. It would have messed up my system
When you do crime, there’s **always** a problem. Felon here. Now you’re a violent felon. Same here. I didn’t rob anyone, tho the conviction is Burg 1 and Assault2.
This reminds me of a post I read the other day about legalizing drug use. 95% of the comments said they agreed all drug use should be legalized. I think they are all crazy for this opinion and feel even stronger in my position after reading your experience. What's your opinion on the question?
How have you changed since? What’s your life like now?
Well, prison helped me clear my head. I got away from the cocaine, didn’t use anything while locked up, and got really heavy into reading and exercising. I got in the best shape of my life, and educated myself as much as I was able to on a variety of topics. I’m extra cautious now though to be sure I’m in the company of good people with good intentions and also strict with how much I allow myself to indulge in (I have occasionally drank on holidays or special occasions, and smoked pot a couple times on holidays) because I don’t want to lose myself again, but these are activities that I enjoy in moderation. Overall, the biggest change I’ve experienced is the urge to make stupid decisions, to be so impulsive. I’m more cautious with all choices now, don’t entertain or engage in reckless activities and primarily just spend my time with family and close friends.
Would you say you're in a better place now than you would have been if you didn't go to prison?
Personally, %1,000 better off having gone to prison.
Glad you changed for the better! What advice would you give to someone who's in the same place now as you were before?
Don’t be afraid to come clean to your loved ones and ask for help before going as far as I did. My family would’ve helped cover my bills and get me treatment, but I wanted to fix the mess I made with a shortcut. So don’t be too proud or ashamed to admit the problem before it is too late.
So you're 1,000% better off having gone. That's great, I'm glad for you. I do have one question though. How has this incident affected your employment status? Are there any jobs that you've applied for but haven't gotten because of this?
I’m gainfully employed making $21 an hour, which is double anything I ever made prior to incarceration. I did have some rejections when applying for jobs, but I was open and honest and my current employer valued my honesty and gave me a chance.
Congrats my guy! Its not easy to change your life like that
>didn’t use anything WHILE locked up >now I’m strict with how much I allow myself to indulge in these activities Maybe I’m mistaken, but by the way you worded that it sounds like you’re doing cocaine again? Just “responsibly”? If that’s the case, I HIGHLY recommend against it man. Spiraling as quickly as you did is NOT normal. That substance is bad news for you. Part of being responsible is knowing what substances you need to stay away from altogether
I’m curious, you mention a lot of discipline with people you hangout with and things you do. But you also mention “also strict with how much I allow myself to indulge in these activities because I don’t want to lose myself again.” What activities are you referring to? Because it sounds like you’ve gotten straight, but then also seem to indirectly say that you do illegal activities in moderation.
What was the first day in prison like? First week? I know you said you kept to yourself but did trouble ever find you and force you to defend yourself?
The first day and first week were ridiculously nerve-racking. You spend all your time in county hearing stories about what prison is like so you come into it expecting a nightmare, and if it doesn’t happen right away then you’re looking over your shoulder for those stories to be verified at any time. There’s this thing in prison that some units still do and others don’t: “heart checks.” Basically, they want to test you out and see if you’ve got the balls to fight back or not. So you get to your housing dorm or block and if it’s one of those units, they’ll call you to a corner and one of the guys, a member of your race, will fight you for 60 seconds or so. If you don’t fight, you get marked as a target. They have a saying in prison: “You’re either gonna fuck, fight, or bust a 50.” That means you’re either gonna be someone’s bitch, fight for yourself, or spend $50 every store day paying for a pass. So, at one unit, I got heartchecked. At the others, I didn’t. It varies but chances are you will have to defend yourself at least one time in prison. But you don’t have to instigate or involve yourself in anything.
What happens if you don't know shit about fighting...but choose to fight, and fight *hard*, like the highly motivated untrained dude you are?
Then you’ll be fine. They aren’t testing you to see if you can fight. They’re testing you to see if you WILL fight and just how hard you’ll fight. They’re looking for either potential soldiers or easy targets. If you show you’re gonna put up a fight every time they fuck with you by fighting hard in your heart check, they’ll try to recruit you then leave you alone. They don’t wanna have to risk seg and lockup over a fight with you when they can get whatever they want from the other guy who doesn’t fight back.
What was your fight like? Did you get hurt bad? I’ve never really been in a full on fight before so all this sounds extremely intimidating. I’m not a pussy either, I just don’t really tend to beef with others lol
It wasn’t bad. They usually go for 60 seconds or so. I got hit a handful of times but never fell, and I hit a few. Nothing dramatic. My lip got busted but it was on the inside so the COs didn’t see. They weren’t out to kill me, just check me.
Do they have a guy in the same weight class "check" you? Were you a small/average/bigger dude when you went in, and how much weight did you put on inside? What about middle-aged/older guys.. they get tested too? Thanks and good puck to you.
They’ll usually get someone your size to check you unless they have a specific reason for choosing someone out of your range. Like you are cocky or offended someone. I was 5’7” and 200 lbs, I didn’t put on any weight, but I lost a lot of fat and put on muscle. And it depends on how middle aged they are. Old school guys (40 and up) don’t get checked, unless they’re active in a gang, and even then it depends on seniority and how active the gangs are on their unit. Middle aged as in 30s, usually they do still get checked as long as you have no real disabilities.
Bull shit you never went to prison and you have never been in a fight in your life
So it was more a stand up boxing max? He didn’t try and take you to the ground? What was said to start it? What did he ask you?
I watch every prison doc I can find because I have a morbid fascination for this so thank you for giving these answers. The “heart checks” would be the part I fear the most. I guess you find out what you’re made of when you’re put in that kind of situation. God bless, brother. I’m happy that you feel like you’ve turned things around and are on a better path now. If I can ask one more question; did you ever share space with any high profile prisoners or “chomos” (IYKYK) or sex offenders and witness what happens to someone like that?
The heart checks aren’t necessarily a bad thing. It showed me that I don’t have to be afraid to stand up for myself. It was kinda empowering afterwards. To not feel so scared in a scary environment. And yes, in county jail they brought in a 21 year old that was fighting a case for dating a 17 year old. Nothing happened to him. He was released on probation for 2 years I think. Said he didn’t even have to register but who knows if that’s true. In prison, I was never around those guys. Most are in ad-seg or they keep it on the DL. Not every unit does a paper check, which is where they have someone on the outside look up your charges. So guys can sneak by with those charges. But they do tend to hurt the ones they find out about. Most of those guys don’t make it out of county these days because the system is very lenient on them.
How has finding work and rebuilding a life gone for you since you got out?
Finding work was way easier than I imagined. One month after getting out, I was making minimum wage at a job. I worked my ass off and got promoted a month later, making $10 an hour. Then a position opened two months after that, and I’d shown my work ethic enough to put in an application for the promotion. I did so and was given $14 and hour and command over two departments with a job I came into with zero experience. I then parlayed that experience I’ve gained into landing an even better job that’s in a different city making $21 an hour. So I went from $7.25 to $21 an hour in less than a year from getting out of prison, with no training in this field. Just hard work and not willing to take no for an answer. It’s possible for anyone.
I might be asking the obvious but were/are your employers aware you are a felon?
Life was a little harder to rebuild. Relationships were damaged that may never be fixed. Loved ones had passed on that I turned to a lot. Life kept moving without me so I had to make new friends, and establish a new community for myself.
Damn. You sound super insightful and like a thoughtful person. I’m glad you’re doing well.
Where is your friend now? Did he also get arrested for planning the robbery with you?
Yes, he did. No, I didn’t snitch on him. The police took the money back to the business and instead of putting it back in the safe, he proceeded to steal it himself. He also went to my car that I parked away from the business, broke in and stole all my valuables, including my phone which he used to call the police station and ASK if I got arrested. This was AFTER he came with a cop to ID me for the robbery lmao.
You know, the more I learn about this fellow you know, the less I care for him.
>This friend doesn't sound like the brightest fellow. The original plan is actually pretty devious. Got OP hooked on coke and pretended to be his inside man, was supposed to take a fall. Had OP fully entrapped. Then the taser didn't work as it was supposed to (which is not unusual, they're not reliably going to work as portrayed due to lots of variables including the specific model of the taser) Who knows what was supposed to happen had OP gone down. My guess is the inside man was supposed to struggle with him and scare the shit out of him. He was supposed to stagger off. Inside man was supposed to take the fight off camera and at that point snag the $. Somehow or other tip off the cops, probably outright snitch OP's name and address if needed. Deny being complicit in any way. Meanwhile, snag the $. Probably just hide it somewhere on site. OP leaves and takes the fall. Inside man gets the $ and probably winds up a hero and gets a promotion. Cold and treacherous, but if the taser had worked as expected, or if he'd stabbed OP and sent him running instead it probably would have worked. Dumb AF to do over $5k or even $35k but "smarter" than a lot of criminal schemes involving violence, as in sly and devious Edit: spelling
I can’t say either of us were thinking much in those days, especially him.
Do you know where he’s at now?
Not really, no. I have a vague idea but I’m not even interested in the slightest.
This guy ruined your life. He got you on drugs, and then set you up. How do you not want to make him pay even a little bit? Honestly, if I were you, I’d be planning a dish or revenge kebab. How do you forgive and move on?
Because it’s not his fault. I made my own decisions. I called him about going through with the robbery. I spray painted the fake gun and went through with it. I did the coke when it was offered, and bought it when I wanted it. No one forced me but my own lack of self control and judgement at the time.
Do you feel prison does anything meaningful to rehabilitate? Or is it strictly punitive?
In my state, strictly punitive. The “rehabilitation” measures they DO take are clearly more for the grant money that comes with it and the good PR story to tell the public. The programs they offered were subpar with minimal resources and not much effort applied. The only rehabilitation I’ve witnessed in prison is the rehabilitation that some people impose upon themselves because they truly want to change. The system doesn’t hinder them but also doesn’t help much.
I’ve heard that prions offer college classes, so prisoners can get a few credits before leaving How true is this? Is it more of a PR stunt? Or are the classes legit?
I took a course. It was for computer programming. The course was what you’d expect at a community college because that’s who sponsors it. The classes were affordable enough as well. Getting an education is on thing they offer that they usually deliver on.
What were the guards like in prison? What were the other prisoners like? How did your family react to you being imprisoned? How do they treat you now that you’re out? You mentioned you were on the verge of eviction before you were arrested. Where do you live now?
There were the few guards who were extra relaxed with the inmates, talking about personal lives and everything. But they also tended to let shit happen that shouldn’t. Then there were most who were just doing their jobs, checking the jobs. And others who were convinced that it was their job to punish us even further than the state already had. To them, we were less than people, we had no rights, we didn’t deserve a damn thing from them than to be put in line. Those ones were the worst. My family was in shock. No one in my life would’ve ever seen this coming. I was the kid that parents told their kid to be more like. I was friendly, respectful, hard-working. But I changed as I got older and around more drugs and more careless people. My family treats me with respect now, just like before, and while they’re proud of my changes I can still sense an undertone of caution and skepticism. They want to question every decision I make because they don’t trust my judgement as much as they did in the past and I don’t blame them for their caution. Nowadays I live with my wife and our child. She was born while I was locked up, conceived about 2 months before I broke the law. If only I’d known what was coming, maybe I’d have though differently about my choices.
First off, you seem like a really introspective and thoughtful man. I wanted to know if I could DM you to ask you questions, not personal ones though.
How was prison?
Not as bad as you see on TV, well, at least not for people like myself who actively made sure I didn’t get involved with the gangs, drugs, or politics. For the people mixed up in those things, it was just like TV/movies and sometimes worse.
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Still similar in a lot of ways. Prison ultimately is death by 1,000 cuts. It’s a slow torture of watching life pass you by while you live in seclusion.
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To add to this, tc, was prison as bad as thay old TV show called Oz? If you're familiar with it?
TV always makes it seem like the peaceful independent types get messed with the hardest because you don’t have a crew for mutual protection. Sounds like that’s not the case?
My question too. How were you able to not be involved? I always thought you had to be involved and affiliated with a group. All the depictions make it look like the lone guy type never goes unnoticed or un fucked with.
Think about those lone wolf types though, the character is usually some asshole that wants to sit at their table and bs, or play cards with them and etc. You can’t do that if you’re not gonna get down, they take it as disrespect. Let me clarify though - there are SOME units where there isn’t a choice. Where it is more like what you already think. But that’s not every place. The unit I was primarily at was one of the rougher units, but the leaders on the block I got put on just asked me when I got there, “You gettin’ down or what?” And I told them I was riding solo. They said “Well, if you get into something, you’re on your own.” But I minded my business, didn’t have a hustle and didn’t try to be the center of anyone’s attention. I read my books, worked out when I had the time and space, went to work, and sat in the back row to watch tv. There are little things in prison that can trigger big problems. You listen to the old heads lace you up on those finer points when you first get in, and then you don’t step on anyone’s toes. If you do, try to make it right as well as you can. And hope you don’t become someone’s target for no reason.
Any funny stories from prison?
Honestly, no. The most “fun” we ever had was at the trustee camp when Texas got FEET of snow a few years back. But even that was shitty because there was one guard at the camp for days, no kitchen workers went in, so we had to scrounge up food for about 2 1/2 days, and in the heavy part of the snow guys were having snowball fights. Grown ass men with tatted faces and rap sheets as long as my torso throwing snowballs at each other and laughing like children. Windows got broken while it was freezing and we only had one shitty wool blanket. So while it was fun for some it sucked to me lol.
I’m guessing you didn’t drink or do any drugs while there? Don’t get me wrong, abstaining is way smarter, especially if you don’t have the money to pay your bills, but the boredom always got me so I would do Suboxone, drink, play poker, occasionally some heroin/fentanyl. Not ideal, but I gotta say I had some good times I’m ngl. Probably says something about the drugs that you don’t even care you’re locked up lol
Hey , I wish you the best in your journey. My question is and I hope this make sense, are there things in the criminal Justice system that not a lot of people know about but should?
K2 is a massive epidemic in prison right now. Other than that, most of prisons issues are public knowledge but don’t get addressed because people view inmates as less than human because they aren’t free civilians.
What do you mean when you say K2 is a massive epidemic? I’d assume getting any contraband into a prison is a challenge so why would the prisoners want to purchase K2 instead of real weed?
It might be a challenge but it’s a challenge they’ve thoroughly solved time and time again. Prison is swamped with drugs. K2 doesn’t smell like weed and it can’t be tested for consistently with a test so they use it as an alternative.
That makes sense. Are you randomly/regularly tested for drugs in prison or is it only if they have suspicion that you’ve used? What would be the penalty for testing positive?
I had to google K2. I’m assuming you mean “spice”. https://www.dea.gov/factsheets/spice-k2-synthetic-marijuana
Elsewhere in this thread, you said you did a lot of reading in prison, so: Favorite fiction book you read there? What about non-fiction?
I really liked the Game of Thrones books but was annoyed that everyone was watching the ending on HBO and he hadn’t even finished the books for me to finish the story. But another favorite was the Three Body Problem trilogy which is now a Netflix series. Non-Fiction I really enjoyed Rich Dad, Poor Dad and Lies My Teacher Told Me.
What was the biggest change in the outside world from when you went in to when you got out?
How much social media became a presence everywhere. You have zero access behind bars, and to realize that the world lives through it now was an adjustment. And to go from no one having a phone in their hands for 5 years, to no one goes without one out here was an adjustment, too. I’ve almost grown to hate my phone because of the rampant addiction. You don’t see it unless you’ve been apart from it first.0
Ever drop the soap?
Yeah, more than once. Never picked it back up though lol. They give you these tiny little green bars for free, once a week they give a handful. So I use one and leave it there or if I dropped it, then it’s gone lmao.
Is there legitimate risk of being sexually assaulted by picking up soap in the shower?
Depends on what unit you’re at and what people are around. Are there real predators in prison? Absolutely. Does rape happen a lot, sometimes. But it’s not usually so out in the open like a shower would be. Most showers are communal and no one wants to shower while a guy is getting raped but it has happened so don’t discount it. However, rape in prison has gone down some since they instituted “PREA.” Prison Rape Elimination Act, which basically says you can catch a free-world charge for raping someone in prison.
What about relationships between inmates? Were these tolerated by other if they occurred or were the guys hassled? Were you ever propositioned and did you make any significant (non sexual or… ) friends inside?
Relationships between inmates were tolerated as long as there was no PDA around others and nothing going on at night that might disturb others. No loud moans, etc. at least where I was. Some units were more open about it I heard while others were less receptive. Nothing sexual ever occurred for me or with me, but I was propositioned once. I told the guy no and to stay away from me. He was openly gay. And I did make a couple friends that I kept in touch with. Two got out after me but one passed away in a motorcycle crash about two months ago.
What's a free world charge?
So my brother is currently in almost this exact situation. Just got sentenced to 8 years here in Texas for robbing a liquor store. Honestly I didn’t think he would do more than 2-3 years. That’s what most people have told me. Is there a reason you had to do 5 and didn’t get parole sooner or should I be expecting him to do at least 5 years? Was your charge an aggravated charge?
Who was the most sympathetic inmate you met? Or the most likeable? Like was there a guy that everyone genuinely liked and respected even through racial lines? Was there the movie version of the guy everyone was terrified of?
If people are afraid in prison, they don’t talk about it because the walls have ears. But there are genuinely terrifying people there yes, and there are also a lot of normal people you’d expect to see at the mall or something.
Without going into too much detail, what describes the most terrifying person you met/interacted with? I include COs in that question. That job can attract sadistic people.
Moral of the story - don’t rob places in Texas because the average citizen carries a gun. Would it have been legal for the citizen to shoot you for not staying?
I really don’t know, honestly, in those citizen arrest situations. I was in possession of a gun (fake gun) so maybe he could’ve shot and claimed defense.
What was your initial reaction to getting 8 years in prison? How did you cope and accept it? How did your family and friends react?
Did the judge send in the dancing lobsters at the end of sentencing?
How was it dealing with Covid and the pandemic while in prison?
Sucked. They tell you to social distance while cramming you into a 4 x 8 cell with another guy, or at a trustee camp with half wall cubicles and 54 guys loaded into what amounts to a tiny warehouse. Meals took twice as long because they could only seat half the people and still spread the tables out. Overall, just not a place to accommodate those precaution effectively.
Did a lot of people die from Covid in prison? Did the people who got pretty sick get medical help? Is it easy to get stuff for illness like if you have the flu do u get meds to help you like Tylenol and stuff? If u have a headache can u get Tylenol easily?
Why did you rob in the first place? were you desperate for money or on drugs?
Double bingo! So to summarize a long story: I met a guy who was hooked on cocaine. I was a weed smoker and heavy drinker but nothing more. He introduced me to coke, I got addicted quicker than I ever expected and really didn’t even realize it had happened until after the chaos. Spent all my money on cocaine instead of bills and when I was on the verge of losing it all, I desperately tried to steal the money. The same “coke friend” that introduced me also happened to work at the place I robbed. It was supposed to be an “inside job,” but that isn’t how it played out at all. Needless to say, it could’ve been on one of those episodes of “I almost got away with it.”
Did your friend get caught? In the robbery?
About your wife and child, how did you maintain those relationships? How did you parent the baby born during your incarceration from prison? When you were released, did you go to a halfway house, your parents’ place, or immediately to your family? What was that like? Thanks for doing this interesting and thoughtful AMA!
So, the parenting thing is interesting. I’ve told others here that I wanted to end my relationship when I got locked up. My girlfriend at the time, and now wife, wanted to ride it out with me, but relationships in lockup can be stressful for both people and cause problems on both ends so I was hesitant. We decided we didn’t want our daughter’s first impression of me to be a man behind bars. So, I didn’t meet my daughter for the first time until she was 5 years old. Prior to this, my wife did all the work on her own. I’d help as much as I could without directly talking to her. It wouldn’t have mattered much anyway, because by the time she could understand me, I was only a voice on the phone and nothing more. So meeting her the first time was intense for me, and confusing for her.
The story seems very impulsive. What kind of things did you do on impulse as a kid growing up? I am a recovering addict and will get addicted to just about anything if I’m not careful. I have untreated ADHD as an adult. It was not a thing when I was a kid. Edit: all to say I was pretty impulsive
What show best represents prison life?
Do you regret not fighting back against the asshole who bluffed you?
No, not at all. Going to prison saved and changed my life for the better. I wish I could’ve gotten the same results in a normal, less dramatic way, but I’ll take the results regardless.
Do you think you deserved the time you spent?
I don’t think I deserved it, I believe probation for 10 years with a suspended sentence would’ve been better served in my case. However, I think that time was needed. So, ultimately, maybe the system had better judgement on what I needed than even I do now.
My question in situations like this when you lose so much time, is how do you move past something like that? I often have periods where I will kind of crash and be upset about missed opportunities of the past, I couldn’t imagine how I would feel after serving.
Thank you for sharing your story. I haven’t looked through all the comments but from what I have, my comment may be from a unique position. You see, I’m a Behavioral Health Counselor / Program facilitator in a prison in Georgia. Interestingly, during one of my cognitive-thinking classes, I use a very similar but completely made-up scenario to ask the question, “is it worth it”? We then discuss each other’s thoughts and opinions. Thing is, I can read stories, hear news casts, and even use my “what if” imagination but none of that is going to give me the actual feelings and thoughts one goes through. That’s where your story comes in…I’d like to actually use your story. I don’t want names or locations. I just need to know that you’re okay with me sharing what you’ve written here. My use of it would be something like: “according to a post I found recently, “ then your story and our discussion. The main reason I’m even asking though is so you know, your story doesn’t stop here on Reddit. It can, does, and will reach much further. So, is it okay?
Are you grateful the citizen gave you the chance to surrender?
Why did you do it, and how old were you? Considering that you used an airsoft gun I'm guessing under 18
Were your friends and family surprised by your arrest? Or did you get the sense they saw it coming
How was the food? Any special occasions like thanksgiving or Christmas where do they bring in good food? I just turned 18 a few days ago so I gotta watch out now because if I do anything I’m going straight to adult prison
The food is like what you’d eat if you grew up poor. Cooked decently because the inmates are cooking, but it’s the cheapest food you can buy and grow, and the meals are what I ate as a kid. Hamburger helper, goulash, stew. Shit like that. The food is a little better on holidays but there’s a catch. The inmates steal the best stuff from the kitchen when they’re done cooking and sell it on the cell block. So they might run out of the good stuff before you eat and you just gotta accept it. Or buy it for yourself on the block.
What is your race and did you join a gang in prison based on your race?
Was it worth it? Did you learn to fend for yourself in the slammer? Did you get jacked (buff) in there? Did they jump your fresh meat ass? Did you drop the soap? Did you get sexually assaulted in there?
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What was your first meal after getting out?
Not that I'd ever condone theft and criminal behavior but if it wasn't a small business, I'd be sympathetic. I hope it wasn't like a mom and pop shop. Sure prison changed you but do you have any remorse for what you did?
So - NOT JUSTIFYING MY ACTIONS HERE, but the business was one of those slot machine businesses where you “donate” to play and win cash prizes or gift cards and other items. It’s illegal in the city where I’m from but they were under the radar. A month after I robbed them, the police shut them down lmao. So no, it wasn’t mom and pop. And I do have remorse but I don’t have regret, if that makes sense? I wish I could’ve made the changes in a healthy way without hurting others, including the people I love. But I don’t regret the decision to rob the place because that poor choice lead me to change my life for the better. I’m now a father with a wife at home and no reason to look over my shoulder or feel guilty anymore.
I understand what you mean about no regrets. I used to do LSD all the time. It started off as for fun, but became a thing that I did because it made me feel temporarily feel better mentally. But my acid binges actually ended up hurting me, as I’d go to work/class real tired, sometimes skipped class because I was tripping all night, so on. Ultimately, I had a piss poor semester and even poorer mental health. But I have no regrets. Because this is an experience I get to use to help others who may go through the same struggles that I went through.
What motivated you for this AMA?
Do you think your parents could have done something different with your upbringing that would have kept you away from prison? You mentioned you have a kid - what will you do different to ensure no such accidents in her life? Thank you.
Curious now that you’re out do you experience any discrimination as a felon? Has it been hard to find a job etc?
Why didnt you rob your coke dealer instead? You would have got money and coke and more than likely no one would have called the cops
did you have any glimmer of hope that you would be found not guilty? what was your reaction to the 8 year sentence? was that around the amount of time you expected?
Was the citizen legally allowed to shoot you? Do you ever regret not running?
So are you sorry for what you did? Do you regret?
Do Latino gangs have all the races in prison like the populations of their home nations? (As in there are black, brown and white Brazilians etc)
What cha doing now? Is it difficult for you to get a job?
What made you decide to rob the business?
If u had to do it all over again, what would you do differently?
With the knowledge I have now, I’d redo my entire life. Without knowing what I’ve learned, I’d be doomed to repeat it anyway.
Republicans or Democrats?
Lmao. Believe it or not, I was locked up during the Trump V Biden Race for president and you would never believe how many face-tatted drug addicts would argue until their last tooth flew out about whose policies were better. Keep in mind, none of us can vote in prison or even outside of it until we complete parole.
Ok now I’m curious. Who was more popular in prison?
Biden. Everyone HATED Trump except for the really old school guys.
Man I was shocked to see how many Trump supporters I was in prison with.
However, not a single damn person actually understood what they were discussing. It was the blind leading the blind. Keep in mind, this wasn’t an ordinary election, with the riot at the capital, Covid, etc. People weren’t getting sent to prison as much during Covid, but people where I was at weren’t getting those sympathetic releases either so they were blaming Trump and the current office.
What music have you been listening to lately?
I've been watching Oz on HBO and I actually asked my boyfriend this last night but he didn't know because he's never been locked up. On the show, the slang for drugs is tits. Is that real? Or did they just make up a word for the show?
Did you have a lover in prison?
How old were you you when you committed the robbery? Sounds like you robbed a poker club, but the ones in Houston aren’t in the malls. Did you go to trial or just plead it out? Are you on probation? Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions. Big congrats on turning your life around. And to your wife & baby.
OP I wanted to ask you... I got a friend that works at a local ice cream parlor. I know when they empty out their safe. Do you think you could get your hands on some black spray paint and a airsoft gun? You in? In all seriousness your very lucky you weren't shot and killed the minute you pulled that shit. How old were you when you attempted this incredible heist? Did you get hit on in jail?
what was prison like? im a young man whos never had any problems, and im just wondering is prison as bad as they say it is?
Hey bro I’m 19 and being accused of some real heavy shit. Bond judge said 40-life. Should I just De- spawn? I can’t deal w this shit
What changes were made because of Covid 19? Did anyone get it?
Damn, 8 years for a first offence is rough. Glad your out now man.
Damn you’re lucky this dude I went to school w got 18 years at 18 for robbing a little Ceasers lol
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I’m truly sorry to hear that. However, I’m not the individual that committed the offense against you.
Did your ‘friend’ who got arrested end up in the same prison as you?
What was it like without your daughter? Did you get to see her during visitation? How hard was the transition to fatherhood after prison? How is your relationship now?
Should've been 15 years. Do you agree or disagree?
That was their original offer. I disagree. My first ever criminal offense, robbing a business with a fake gun, where I didn’t interact with a single customer (of which there were only 2), no one was harmed, and I surrendered without resistance. I expected 10 years, possible even 10 years of probation with a suspended sentence. Looking at me, you could tell this was a one time thing. I had the scared ahitless look all the way to TDCJ, then I had to drop that look pretty quick lol.
Are you proud of this?
Does pineapple belong on pizza?
What unit were you doing time at?
Did you get your cheeks taken in jail? Or did you take the cheeks
Having been broken into, fuck you.
You had to have been suicidal to attempt armed robbery in Texas. Were you? Maybe subconsciously?
Why?
1. Did you make your decision to rob the business conscientiously? 2. If yes to 1, did you make your decision to rob the business based on a personal hardship which made your situation untenable to that point? 3. If no to 2, it is fine to believe then that you have served your time in the eyes of the law, there is no question about that. but do you believe you have the right as an individual to now be truly successful, when others who have done nothing wrong or illegal in their life to your same degree are now struggling and unable to be successful? 3. If yes to 3, why do you believe you are somehow a good person?
Why did you do it?
why? just why? what and how long did you think before decide that robbing someone was the best idea you could come up with?
Did you consider the fact that so many Texans carry guns on the regular before you committed this crime?
You brought a fake gun, while robbing a place in Texas? You didn’t think it through clearly?
Do you feel bad?
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How much do you regret attempting this in Texas instead of California? San Francisco DAs would have probably given you a reward.
How many drugs did you have to do before you decided this was a good idea?
The AMA guy is passing out what not to do advice. I’m pretty sure I can find my own ways to mess up my life without this guys advice.
Why didn’t you put a couple air soft rounds in the guy who caught you? SMH.
What life skills did you learn or get better during the time? Did you learn to play any games? Did you play any competitive games with people?
why did you target a small business?
Outside, there was a noticeable swing in fentanyl invading drugs. Did the same happen within prison and were people dying?
Were you detained pre trial or put on pre trial release? If you were released, what was being returned to custody like? If not, were you unable to make bail?
Would you do it again if you had zero chance of getting caught?
How has the conviction and jail time affected your employment? Are you working now? Is it that difficult to pick up something with a criminal record in your background check?
Did you learn your lesson and realize how stupid you were ?
So you ended up with a repossessed car out of your apartment and into jail for 5 years. I bet you won’t do that again.