Most people hit rock bottom before going to Alcoholics Anonymous but 20 year old Matthew Corwin does things his way:
A Long Island man attending an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting at a church swiped $40 from the parish poor box to buy marijuana, police said.
“He just needed the money. He was using it for drugs,” Suffolk Police Lt. James Gruenfelder said. “It’s pretty desperate to be stealing from the poor box.
“He probably would have had better luck had he asked for assistance from the clergy.”
Cops arrested Matthew Corwin, 20, after recognizing him from surveillance video of two heists at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in West Islip, police said.
He pleaded not guilty yesterday to two counts of petty larceny and two counts of fourth-degree criminal mischief at his arraignment in Suffolk County 1st District Court in Central Islip.
Corwin was released without bail.
A source close to the case said Corwin was attending AA meetings at the Hunter Ave. church. He would carry the freestanding poor box into the church rest room, then kick it open, the source said.
He stole money in January and again on Saturday, police said. Each time, the unemployed Corwin swiped $20, cops said.
Gruenfelder noted the impracticality of the crime.
“It’s not going to change your life to get $40,” he said, “but taking $40 can sure change your life.”
And they say weed isn’t habit forming. I guess it’s just normal behavior for a guy to sneak out of his A.A. meeting, steal a poor box and buy some pot.
But c’mon, at least he wasn’t drinking…
What a sh-t! I smoked pot as a teenager, and I never did anything immoral, but as an adult I wouldn’t want to support criminal activity. I’m to old for that stuff any way. I agree with you that when you take a drug, you run a risk that it can change you. If a person has undiscovered psychological problems it could exacerbate them. To disagree or comment for a moment–I also think that some this comes with breaking the law. I think that once a person breaks the law, they’ve crossed a line that makes it morally easier for them the next time. I do lean a bit to the side of legalize it because we are putting pot heads and dealer in jail and violent criminals like the rich kid who beat up his girlfriend are getting light sentences or no sentences at all. I am interested in your perspective and glad that I found your blog. What is your ultimate aim? Right now pot is illegal, and I doubt that’s changing anytime soon. Are you just trying to educate people about the possible dangers of the drug?
You’ve NEVER done anything immoral? Good for you.
I have a category called Victimless crime Files you should take a look at. My goal is to demythologize pot as some harmless substance and to show that legalization of pot won’t lower crime rates, just arrest rates.
Pot dealers aren’t non-violent. I lived in a neighborhood full of dealers and they were all gang affiliated. if you know a pot dealer now who’s “non-violent” tell him to watch his back, because sooner rather than later MS-13 or some Crips will come and tell him he’s got to pay a “tax” to deal, and when he misses a payment he’ll be shot. That’s the reality of drug dealing.
The money dumped into pot is used to fund gang wars on the streets, pot itself is grown in other countries by slaves, Narco-terror groups put whole villages to work by force to grow pot. Legalization won’t help that.
Legalization won’t remove gangs from dealing anymore than repealing prohibition removed the Mafia from nightclubs and bars. I want this country to have an honest debate about these issues and not follow the European model of supporting legalization because it’s an easy way to get votes.
Kiss my black ass. I didnt do it. God has spoken to me and he said, ” Son, stop stealing from my house. I will kill you.” I said in return. Im sorry old man in the sky. i was drunk. The aa meeting was fuckin whack and im never going back and u cant make me. and b esides god only helps those who help themselves. and yes i smoke mass quanities of pot. however the fuck ups of aa will be glad to i havent drank in 15 minutes.
Give him credit… he didn’t assault anyone. If the clergy would of gave the coin to him anyways then whats the big deal? He’s jus’ cutting out the middleman. Did the church press charges? They should jus’ turn the other cheek. But most religious people are hypocrites. So I’m sure they did.
You’re arguing that Christians should roll over for criminals and take it? Really?
I’m a Pagan, so by your logic should I be able to sack the church as the Pagans of old did because Christians should be “turning the other cheek” and they would give me money if I needed it anyway?