About $6 worth of merchandise bought a Wheeling man one to three years in prison.
David Pringle, 54, pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges of attempted malicious assault on a police officer and obstructing, which stemmed from an attempted shoplifting incident this summer.
On July 31, officers were dispatched to the Family Dollar on Chapline Street regarding a shoplifting in progress. Upon arrival, they discovered Pringle, who, according to a store employee, had taken razor blades, tape and reading glasses from the shelves and placed the items in his pocket.
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David Pringle, left, and public defender Justin Hershberger listen in Ohio County Circuit Court on Tuesday.
When officers identified themselves as Wheeling police and ordered Pringle to stop, he attempted to flee the store. Pringle also pulled a 1-inch razor blade from his pocket, swinging it in the direction of one of the officers, court records state.
Pringle was eventually subdued, and officers found $90 on his person.
According to the police report, Pringle decided to shoplift the roughly $6 in merchandise because he had to pay $450 in rent that month.
The felony charge of malicious assault on a police officer and the misdemeanor charge of obstructing carry a sentence of one to three years and no more than one year, respectively. Those sentences will be served concurrently for a total of one to three years.
In accordance with a plea agreement, charges of breaking and entering and brandishing were dismissed.