Woman Charged with Felony More Than 20 Years After Video Store Noticed This Missing
Even though she never knew it, the long arm of the law has been reaching out its hand for 20 years to nab Caron McBride.
Her crime? Never returning a copy of “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” that was rented from an Oklahoma video store in 1999, according to KOKH-TV.
McBride said she never knew about the charges, and only found out when, after getting married in Texas, she went to change the name on her driver’s license.
“I went to change my driver’s license, during this COVID thing you had to make an appointment, and so, I sent them an email (and) they sent me an email and they told me … that I had an issue in Oklahoma and this was the reference number for me to call this number and I did,” McBride said.
The number connected her to the Cleveland County District Attorney’s Office.
That was when she learned that all these years she had been wanted by the law.
“The first thing she told me was felony embezzlement, so, I thought I was gonna have a heart attack,” McBride said.
“She told me it was over the VHS tape and I had to make her repeat it because I thought, this is insane. This girl is kidding me, right? She wasn’t kidding,” McBride said.
The charge of felony embezzlement of the rented property was filed against her in March 2000.
McBride does not even recall renting the movie, which was rented from the “Move Place” in Norman, Oklahoma. The business shut down in 2008.
“I had lived with a young man, this was over 20 years ago. He had two kids, daughters that were 8, 10 or 11 years old, and I’m thinking he went and got it and didn’t take it back or something. I have never watched that show in my entire life, just not my cup of tea,” McBride said.
“Meanwhile, I’m a wanted felon for a VHS tape.”
“I mean, I didn’t try to deceive anyone over Samantha (Sabrina) the Teenage Witch. I swear,” McBride said.
McBride said she now knows why she was let go from some jobs she has held over the years.
“This is why … because when they ran my criminal background check, all they’re seeing is those two words: felony embezzlement,” McBride said.
Life may be changing for the better, though.
The Cleveland County District Attorney’s Office was said it will dismiss the charge.
Now, McBride needs to clear her name.
“Just because the district attorney’s office dismissed the case, it doesn’t make the case completely go away. It’s not as simple as just filling out a form. You actually have to sue the state of Oklahoma and clear your record,” attorney Ed Blau said, according to KFOR-TV.
McBride called herself “a victim of the system when it comes to this,” McBride said.
“It’s a serious issue. It’s caused me and my family a lot of heartache financially because of the positions I’ve lost because of those two words. Something’s got to give,” she said.
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