Spotted on the Daily Mail:
Goodwill will not press charges against a teen employee who illegally gave out discounts to poor customers, it said in a statement on Friday.
Florida teenager Andrew Anderson, 19, was arrested on Tuesday by Collier County police for giving away discounts to customers he believed were in need at an East Naples store.
‘People would come in on bicycles — wearing all of the clothes they had, coming in with $2, $3 max,’ he told NBC2. ‘I wasn’t actually stealing. Goodwill is a giving and helping company, so I took it upon myself to be giving and helping because I feel people deserve it.’
Store officials fired Anderson and reported the incident to the authorities, CBS News reports. He was initially arrested and charged with grand theft.
Police reports reveal that he was bailed out for $5,000.
‘The suspect advised us that he never received any money himself,’ Officer Chris Marotta told ABC News. ‘[He] was cooperative and unapologetic. He admitted to the above actions and wishes to repay the store.’
Goodwill estimates that Anderson cost the store $4,000, ABC says.
Goodwill later released an official statement, dropping its request to have Anderson charged. His termination, however, remains in effect.
‘We have determined that the individual’s actions were not for personal gain, but rather for the benefit of others. Because this is a violation of our policy, we recognize that the former employee’s termination is an appropriate action but we are not pursuing criminal charges,’ the statement says.
Attorney Jerry Berry took Anderson’s case pro-bono.
‘To call [Anderson] a criminal is wrong,’ he told NBC2. Berry hopes that the charges will be dropped.
