LAKELAND, Fla. — A craving for Publix subs turned into a felony charge for a Lakeland man this week after deputies say he walked out of a grocery store with nearly $45 worth of sandwiches.
Polk County deputies responded to the Publix located at 7340 Kathleen Road around 2:27 p.m. on Tuesday following reports of a retail theft. According to a witness at the scene, a white male described as having “messy hair” was seen taking four “Pub Subs” without paying before driving away in a gray Honda CRV.
Armed with the vehicle’s license plate number provided by the witness, investigators tracked the car to a residence on Dees Road. There, they made contact with 46-year-old James Marshall Hullett, Jr. and 43-year-old Jason LeDaniel Wimberley.
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Deputies identified Hullett as the suspect behind the sandwich heist. According to the arrest report, Hullett admitted to taking the subs, explaining to deputies that his plan was to eat one himself and give the others to a friend, his girlfriend, and another woman.
While the theft involved goods valued at only $44.90, the legal consequences for Hullett were severe. Records indicate he has multiple prior convictions for both grand and petit theft. Due to his extensive criminal history, the charge for Tuesday’s incident was elevated to Felony Petit Theft.
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Though investigators found no evidence linking Wimberley to the theft of the subs, he did not escape legal trouble. A check revealed he had two active warrants: one for Conspiracy to Commit Fraud and another for Failure to Appear in court regarding charges of Possession of a Weapon by a Convicted Felon and Possession of Marijuana.
Both men were taken into custody and booked into the Sheriff’s Processing Center.
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