Newspaper rack thieves sentenced

ARLINGTON, Ga. — The Albany Herald’s circulation staff say while some thieves might think a newspaper rack is an easy way to get money, they sure do have a rough time getting it out.

Herald Circulation Director Michael Hill said the newspaper has a long tradition of finding missing newspaper racks on sides of roads with money still inside.

“Most of the time (thieves) will steal them and then they can’t get it open,” said Hill. “Unless you have a lot of the right tools, it is really difficult to break into a newspaper rack. It really is a waste of time.”

That’s a lesson two men from Blakely learned recently when they were sentenced for stealing two of The Herald’s news racks.

According to reports from the Arlington Police Department, in April an Albany Herald carrier reported two of the newspaper’s racks had been taken from Taylor’s Grocery and Jerry’s Grocery.

Investigators were able to access the businesses’ surveillance videos that showed three men load the racks into the back of a silver GMC SUV and flee the scene.

Police were able to identify the owner of the vehicle as 50-year-old Rickie Lamb, who admitted to stealing the racks along with Arthur Tolbert, 22, and Billy Joe Farmer, 37.

When interviewed by investigators, Lamb told police that the three men stole the news racks and then drove down a dirt road and tossed them off a bridge.

The racks were found in a creek on Sawmill Road, Arlington police said.

This month, Lamb was sentenced to 10 years probation and was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine plus court costs, surcharges and restitution to The Herald. The 50-year-old was also banished from the Pataula Judicial Circuit and Calhoun County by Judge Ronnie Joe Lane in Early Superior Court.

Farmer pleaded guilty to the theft and was sentenced to 12 months probation and ordered to pay a $500 fine along with restitution and court costs.

Tolbert’s sentencing is still pending, said Pataula Judicial Circuit officials.

Albany Herald Circulations Manager Belinda Walker said she hopes others will think twice before trying to steal news racks.

“I don’t think (stealing a news rack) is worth 10 years of probation and a large fine,” she said. “People also don’t realize that there is a $1,000 fine, and you can serve up to a year in jail for stealing just one newspaper.”

Hill said The Herald is very serious about theft of newspapers and news racks.

“We’ve had people go to jail for a 50-cent newspaper,” he said. “People need to know we take it seriously and we will prosecute.”

Circulations officials said that The Herald’s news racks are emptied on a regular basis and that thieves will not be getting much if they try to steal them.

“I’m just glad we caught them,” said Hill. “Maybe it will send a message to other thieves who might try to steal the racks.”