Report: New York City Homeless Man Says ‘I Steal for a Living’ After Theft Arraignment

A New York City homeless man with 30 unsealed prior arrests said he “steals for a living” after striking a plea deal with prosecutors at his arraignment on petit larceny and criminal possession of stolen property charges in Manhattan Criminal Court Wednesday, per a report.

Laron Mack, 50, was approached by the New York Post following his court appearance and put his hand over his face to shield himself from the camera.

“No, you want pictures of me, you want video of me, it costs money. I’m broke, I’m homeless, and I steal for a living,” Mack said. 

The reporter asked Mack what he steals, to which he responded, “beer.” When asked what he does with his stolen beer, he said he would not comment without compensation.

“Police say that out of Mack’s numerous arrests 30 are unsealed, most of them for low-level offenses such as petit larceny, which is not eligible for bail under state law,” the Post wrote.

In his latest incident, police said Mack and another man hit a Duane Reade in the 1500 block of Second Avenue in the Upper East Side on Wednesday, the Post reported. They stole Bud Light, oatmeal, and sausages, police said.

A criminal complaint stated that an employee witnessed Mack and the other man placing the products in a bag before exiting without paying, the Post said. He pleaded guilty Wednesday as part of a deal with prosecutors and was sentenced to a conditional discharge. He was ordered to complete a series of meetings with the Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services (CASES) as a condition of the agreement. He is due back in court on June 3 at 9:00 a.m., online court records show.

Wednesday’s incident comes after he was arrested earlier this month for allegedly stealing from a Duane Reade in Hamilton Heights. Police told the Post he allegedly lifted Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and a 12-pack of Modelo from the store on March 4 and was apprehended the next day.

Mack’s latest arrest comes as New York City has endured a severe uptick in crime in 2022. From January 1 through March 20, the seven major felony offenses — murder, rape, robbery, felony assault, burglary, grand larceny, and grand larceny auto — have jumped 45.2 percent compared to the same period in 2021, the New York City Police Department’s crime statistics show. Moreover, petit larceny is up 35.8 percent over the same period.