Prosecutors Decide Fate Of Man Who Was Jailed After Overpaying For Drink

Felony charges against a Pennsylvania man who thought he overpaid for a soda and was instead jailed after underpaying were dropped this week.

Last month, PennLive.com reported Joseph Sobolewski, 38, saw a sign for 20-ounce Mountain Dew bottles listed at two for $3 last month at the Exxon store on Susquehanna Trail in Duncannon. Sobolewski grabbed a bottle, left $2 on the counter and left the store, not realizing a single bottle was $2.29, not $1.50, which shortened the store by $0.29 cents plus tax, which violated a third-strike policy.

Police tracked Sobolewski down, charged with a felony and held in jail on a $50,000 cash-only bond, having previously faced the possibility of three-and-a-half to seven years in prison if convicted.

The store contacted the authorities and Pennsylvania State Police tracked Sobolewski down, charged with a felony and held in jail on a $50,000 cash-only bond, with the possibility of three-and-a-half to seven years in prison.

Sobolewski, who is homeless, was initially reported to have been convicted on a theft charge more than 10 years ago after driving away from a gas station without paying for his gasoline.

His second offense came in December 2011 when he was arrested for stealing a pair of shoes from a K-Mart store in Cumberland County listed at $39.99.

However, court records showed that the previous retail theft charge was withdrawn and the driving offense was changed with the summary violation, WPXI reports.

Sobloweski is now scheduled to appear in court for the summary charge, according to PennLive.com.