CHESAPEAKE
Bruce Askins was out of work and hadn't eaten in three days.
Then it occurred to him: Hey, they feed you in jail, don't they?
The 26-year-old decided to intentionally get himself arrested, entering an Internet sweepstakes cafe and "demanding" $1 from a worker.
He got his meal - two bologna sandwiches and a sugar cookie - but also ended up spending more than two months in jail, and on Thursday in Chesapeake Circuit Court was sentenced to three years of suspended prison time.
His attorney, Robin Winn, acknowledged that Askins made a bad decision; he had no weapon, but robbery is considered a serious offense. Winn asked the judge for leniency, describing Askins as a hardworking young man caught up in a bad economy.
Askins had left his tow truck driving job over a spat with management. Unable to find another job right away, he ran out of money. He said he hadn't eaten for three days when he pulled off his Internet sweepstakes caper on June 27.
"I told (the clerk): 'This is going to sound silly, but this is a robbery. Give me $1. Call the police,' " Askins said outside the courtroom just before Thursday's sentencing hearing. Askins pleaded guilty in September and was out on $1,000 bond.
The clerk never did give him $1 but did grant his other request: She called the police.
In jail, Askins waited, and around noon, jailers brought him a sack lunch.
"They were so good," Askins said of the sandwiches and cookie.
Since the incident, he has returned to his home state of New Jersey and has another job driving tow trucks.
And by the time he was released after more than two months behind bars, Askins confessed, he was sick of jail food. His first stop when he got out? A Waffle House.
Jeff Hampton, (252) 338-0159, jeff.hampton@pilotonline.com
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