When you think about crime, do you sometimes think of Dr. Doofenshmirtz?
No? Just me? Well, he’s what I thought of when I read this case.
There was a line in the “Phineas and Ferb” movie (my kids were fans) where the villain Dr. Doofenshmirtz says, “Wow! If I had a nickel for every time I was doomed by a puppet, I’d have two nickels—which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice, right?”
For some reason, that quote became a meme to highlight something improbable being repeated. This case offers an example of something that happens more than I’d expect it to in crimes.
Early one morning in 2023, police in Pottstown, PA responded to the scene of a shooting after ShotSpotter alerted them to gunfire. That’s the common part; many shooting investigations begin with ShotSpotter.
But in this case, the subsequent investigation was a brief one…because the shooter dropped his driver’s license at the scene.
Not even one month ago, I wrote a Skittles-inspired post about a criminal who dropped his ID at the scene.
Why do you have your license out when you’re robbing and shooting? Sometimes these guys make it too easy.
Anyway, in this case, the suspect plead guilty. Hard not to when your ID is there and you’re captured on video. He was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm and carrying a firearm without a license (not the license he dropped; a concealed carry permit).
He was sentenced to 3.5—7 years in prison. Not liking that sentence, he appealed. Yesterday the Superior Court of PA upheld the discretionary sentence, finding the court appropriately weighed the relevant factors.
Guess he won’t need that license for a while, after all.
You can read the short opinion here.