Robert Ferguson, Sentenced to 7 Years & 8 Months in Prison Under "Three Strikes" Rule for Stealing $3.99 Pack of Shredded Cheese

Robert Ferguson sentenced to seven years and eight months in prison for stealing a $3.99 pack of Tillamook shredded cheese.

On Monday, Yolo County Judge Thomas Warriner sentenced career criminal Robert Ferguson to seven years and eight months in prison for stealing a package of cheese, worth $3.99, from a Woodland Nugget Market, by putting the package in his trousers, according to the Sacramento Bee. The prosecutors had originally sought a life sentence for Ferguson under the state's "three strikes" law, but dropped their bid last month by stating a psychological report had convinced them such a sentence was unwarranted.

Some people may say that sentence is excessive, but you have to look at this man's criminal record in its entirety. According to the Sacramento Bee, he had 13 prior convictions and had spent 22 or the past 27 years in prison, but he still failed to obey the law. He had even escaped a "three strikes" sentence in 1994 for another crime. So, how many times should the court slap this man on the wrist and send him on his merry way only to re-offend in the near future?

According to the Sacramento Bee, defense lawyer Monica Brushia told the judge that Ferguson's six prior burglary convictions occurred 30 years ago. She said his misdemeanor assault conviction was for throwing a soda can at one of his siblings when he was a teen. She also said, according to the Sacbee, that no weapons or injuries were associated with his crimes. Still, he has a long rap sheet and he should be punished to the fullest extent of the law, even if it was over something seemingly minor in the grand scheme of things. The excuse is that he is bipolar and had trouble controlling impulses to steal during manic phases.

The Yolo County District Attorney's office charged the thefts as felonies. Ferguson was given 825 days of credit for his time in jail awaiting trial by the judge. He would be required to serve half his sentence in prison and will be eligible for parole in less than three years.