Nickels and Dimes

From the Sun-Sentinel-

A trio of former employees of Florida's Turnpike managed to collect more than $13,000 in tolls — for themselves, authorities said.



The Florida Highway Patrol arrested Shaun O. Baugh, 23, Richard Pierre, 34, and Todd Zislin, 47, on charges of grand theft after the trio pocketed tolls, mostly in loose change, said Sgt. Mark Wysocky, spokesman for the agency.

He said Baugh, who supervised the Hollywood Boulevard toll plaza, took $7,400 in toll money. Pierre pinched $5,100 as a toll taker at Commercial Boulevard and Zislin stole $742 from the Sunrise Boulevard plaza, Wysocky said. The three cases are unrelated.

He said Florida's Turnpike officials noticed discrepancies in toll collections over the past six weeks and set up surveillance. Troopers then came in to make the arrests, starting with Zislin June 12 and Baugh and Pierre on Wednesday and Thursday respectively. Zislin was also charged with possession of cocaine.

Baugh is in deeper trouble than the other two. He was already being watched by probation officers because of a past felony conviction.

The crime? Grand theft.

Rick at SOTP asked what is a convicted felon doing supervising a cash drawer? My wife had a co-worker whose daughter worked as a toll collector.(This was back in the 90's) These men and women weren't hired by the State of Florida, but by an outside firm. I don't know if that still applies.

These thieves never heard my father's old adage- "If you're going to steal, steal big. Because whether its big or small, when caught you're going to jail." The $742 that Todd Zislin stole probably doesn't look worth it to him in retrospect now.

Linked to- Stuck on Stupid, Woman Honor Thyself, The World According to Carl,