Read the full story here Web Link posted Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 10:05 AM
Town Square
SAP Palo Alto vice president arrested for LEGO scam
Original post made on May 22, 2012
Read the full story here Web Link posted Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 10:05 AM
Comments (15)
a resident of Old Mountain View
on May 22, 2012 at 10:14 am
Just when you thought you've read it all. These guys think they are just so smart. He's probably been doing this all over town. And then he denies he was actually doing it to steal. He will never be convinced he's guilty. And he probably won't get any jail time. He should apply for a job in the public sector
a resident of another community
on May 22, 2012 at 10:56 am
Actually, us little people in the public sector are the honest one's - It seems to me that it is the 'best and brightest' in the business world who think they are entitled to whatever they want. No matter what.
a resident of Old Mountain View
on May 22, 2012 at 11:47 am
$139 for plastic LEGO toys?
They arrested the wrong people.
a resident of North Whisman
on May 22, 2012 at 12:55 pm
[Post removed due to disrespectful comment]
a resident of Gemello
on May 22, 2012 at 2:51 pm
As an average citizen, I could never think of doing something like this. And that explains why I will never be a leader on anything. Cheating and thievery is not part of my blood and many average citizens don't think of this kind of creative idea to rip off someone. And this is where the corporate execs excel in ripping millions and billions of consumers. Isn't it interesting that the execs put over priced barcodes on their products when they sell them to us even though the products are made for few pennies on the dollar in China, Vietnam, India, Maccau,Bangladesh,Thailand,etc..
a resident of Shoreline West
on May 22, 2012 at 5:53 pm
I hope he gets the maximum sentence. [Post removed due to disrespectful comment]
a resident of Rex Manor
on May 22, 2012 at 9:36 pm
Truly mind-boggling that anyone would risk a well-paying job like his for a few thousand dollars' worth of Legos fenced on eBay. If he did do it -- he is innocent until proven otherwise -- I wonder what his motives were.
a resident of Cuesta Park
on May 22, 2012 at 10:57 pm
I wish there was a "like" button for USA's comment :) My kids had to settle for the cheap imitation legos that didn't click together so well.
Well of all the sick things I read about in the news, stealing a few Legos for kicks or whatever seems relatively harmless. Yes, he should be punished for stealing from local businesses. His 'kicks" came out of the pockets of some good hard working people - and all of us who have to pay a little extra for everything to compensate for shoplifters and thieves. I hope the confiscated Legos get donated to kids whose families cannot afford them.
a resident of Old Mountain View
on May 23, 2012 at 10:35 am
I hate to sound like a bleeding heart liberal, but this guy does not belong in jail. He obviously has some sort of mental illness. Why else would a successful executive risk his career and lifestyle to save a few bucks on Legos. Put him on probation and send him to a shrink, every day, on his dime, not the taxpayers.
a resident of Old Mountain View
on May 23, 2012 at 10:39 am
Why else? Greed. And I doubt this is the only think he's done.
It's funny that when a "successful executive" rips of a Target, you label him with a mental illness, but when a low-wage worker does it, they are common criminals.
a resident of Old Mountain View
on May 23, 2012 at 2:19 pm
Exactly Ned. If this guy was Mexican, this post would be littered with calls for deportation and references to the Day Worker Center.
I don't feel sorry for this man. I see it as a prime example of one of the biggest problems facing this country. No matter how much some have, they still want more and they're willing to do anything to get it.
a resident of Willowgate
on May 23, 2012 at 2:22 pm
@Anon: "Well of all the sick things I read about in the news, stealing a few Legos for kicks or whatever seems relatively harmless."
Actually, what is worrisome is the sense of ethics this wealthy VP of the company brings to the workplace. If he practices petty thievery in his private life, just think how he must conduct himself at his job. It makes you wonder how he got his wealth.
a resident of Monta Loma
on May 23, 2012 at 3:38 pm
I agree with Ned. If this were a poor kid stealing, throw the kid in jail. Wealthy exec or celebrity, must be a mental issue.
Seriously?!
a resident of Blossom Valley
on May 31, 2012 at 9:30 am
I really wonder at the mental capacity of some of the View's readers. The most objectionable comment came from "Observer" who mindlessly parroted Fox News' 24x7 mantra that public sector workers are morally bankrupt. Thank goodness Don set him straight. If you have regular contact with public sector workers, you'd know they are overworked, underpaid, and largely do it for the love of service - service which Observer apparently doesn't appreciate or deserve. In our daily lives we rarely get to see that service personally, but how quick we are to complain when it's not there!
Then there was the legion of people who jumped on Greg for suggesting that Thomas get mental help. Thomas' actions are inexplicable. His thievery could not possibly have increased his wealth much. In other words, his actions were that of a crazy person. Kudos to Greg for sharing his thoughts. So many of you are so obsessed with your envy of Thomas and the desire to punish someone for getting away with something you'd like to be doing that you forget that motivation is a big part of understanding a crime. We live in a sick society where punishment is more important than prevention of crime - and you can't prevent a crime if you are only looking for someone to punish; in fact, one could argue that you create crime by wanting to have someone to punish.
For shame.
a resident of another community
on Jun 25, 2012 at 10:11 am
Mentally ill? Certainly. Criminal? Absolutely! This guy has received much from our society, but gives back this? He needs to go to jail for the maximum, then be released with required community service. Maybe he can relearn how to enjoy Legos by sharing his love of them with mental patients or brain-damaged adults (keep him away from kids, please).
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