3 Years Is Just Desserts for Man Who Refused to Pay Dinner Bill

rockin'robin

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Anthony M. Malabehar finished a sumptuous meal that included crab, lobsters and dessert and then announced that he had no money to pay the $69.27 tab.

He was arrested, pleaded guilty and earlier this month was sentenced to three years in prison.

In delivering the prison term, the judge took into consideration that Malabehar, 47, of Mattoon, Ill., had 70 prior arrests. He also had been released from jail the day before his meal for not paying at another restaurant.

Malabehar made his menu choices at the Alamo Steakhouse on April 4.

“He ordered a filet, snow crab, lobster pinches, snickers pie, two shots of rumple minz, and a Mike’s hard lemonade,” a spokeswoman for Alamo Steak House said.

But when the check came for $69.27, he refused to pay.

“He came up to the server and said ‘Let me let you in on a secret, I don’t have any money,” she said. “So the server went to the manager, who called the police. The police informed the manager that this guy has been going all over town and eating at restaurants without paying.”

Malabehar had been arrested once earlier this year on Feb. 2 for eating at a restaurant without paying, according to Illinois records.

“The police told the manager to keep the man in the restaurant and that they would come,” the spokeswoman said.

Malabehar had been arrested once earlier this year on Feb. 2 for eating at a restaurant without paying, according to Illinois records.

“The police told the manager to keep the man in the restaurant and that they would come,” the spokeswoman said.

When the police arrived Malabehar told the officers he had ordered food at the restaurant knowing that he would not be able to pay, according to a police report obtained by ABC News.

Malabehar was arrested and charged with burglary, the report said. He pleaded guilty to theft on June 6.

“The initial charge was burglary,” said Robert Scales, the first assistant state attorney for Illinois. ”As part of a June 6 plea agreement, the charge was changed to theft with the prior conviction of theft.”

Malabehar received the three-year sentence because of his prior convictions.

“Before this incident, Malabehar has been charged with either burglary or theft 13 times. He has been arrested approximately 70 times,” Scales said.

It is still unclear why Malabehar committed the theft at Alamo Steak House.

“He never gave an explanation,” Scales said. “But what concerned us is that he had served two months in jail for the February theft and then, one day after being released, he did it again.”

3 Years Is Just Desserts for Man Who Refused to Pay Dinner Bill - ABC News
 
Yeah, read that. Which is more expensive, meal itself or the legal cost and cost of incarceration? It does not make sense.

3 days of hard labor? Perhaps!
 
Thinking he wanted to get arrested... a delicious meal like that...then "telling the waitress he had no $$"....??...sort of a "last supper"...before having to eat bologna sandwiches in jail....most people would just get up and run without paying.
 
The guy has quite a racket going on! He did free meals at fancy restaurants
then go to jail and get free rent , food and medical care! He is very clever . , maybe he had a toothache or something and and got throw back in jail. He has no need for money , he just sponge off the backs of hardworking taxpayers. I bet he made his mother proud .
 
This guy takes advantage by eating without paying on purpose and he knows the loopholes. Looks like nothing is going to stop him from going to restaurant to eat without paying.

What would happen if they change the restaurant policy... order something from menu, then pay first before they bring the foods to the table to eat? It's similar to when people fills their car with gas then drives off without paying, they changed that to prepay first before pumping gas in.
 
Thinking he wanted to get arrested... a delicious meal like that...then "telling the waitress he had no $$"....??...sort of a "last supper"...before having to eat bologna sandwiches in jail....most people would just get up and run without paying.

No doubt he was "rent seeking"

70 arrests should be a death penalty case. No use having that guy take up water and air.
 
This guy takes advantage by eating without paying on purpose and he knows the loopholes. Looks like nothing is going to stop him from going to restaurant to eat without paying.

What would happen if they change the restaurant policy... order something from menu, then pay first before they bring the foods to the table to eat? It's similar to when people fills their car with gas then drives off without paying, they changed that to prepay first before pumping gas in.

We do have a pizza & pasta place where you order at a counter, pay, fill your own drink, take your seat and they bring the food to you when it is ready. Salad is served while the rest is being cooked to order.
 
This guy takes advantage by eating without paying on purpose and he knows the loopholes. Looks like nothing is going to stop him from going to restaurant to eat without paying.

What would happen if they change the restaurant policy... order something from menu, then pay first before they bring the foods to the table to eat? It's similar to when people fills their car with gas then drives off without paying, they changed that to prepay first before pumping gas in.

yeah at one time you could fill up your car then pay , but too many people where filling up their cars then driving off. Your idea would keep people from trying to get a free meal but I would not like to have to pay before getting a meal. I have gotten meals that looked horrible or where nothing like the menu said about it and I had the meal send back.
 
yeah at one time you could fill up your car then pay , but too many people where filling up their cars then driving off. Your idea would keep people from trying to get a free meal but I would not like to have to pay before getting a meal. I have gotten meals that looked horrible or where nothing like the menu said about it and I had the meal send back.

This is a small town and the place has a very good reputation. They will correct errors — no problem at all and errors are rare. A very few times I have even kept what I didn't order as it looked (and was) as good a selection of toppings as what I ordered!
 
Yeah few restaurants here do that too... as well as buffet restaurants. Most just take a seat, eat then pay.

We do have a pizza & pasta place where you order at a counter, pay, fill your own drink, take your seat and they bring the food to you when it is ready. Salad is served while the rest is being cooked to order.
 
One time at a steakhouse, I ordered a steak and they didn't cook what I wanted it cooked. So I told the waiter about the issue, and she brought the manager to the table. I explained to the manager what I want the steak cooked, so the manager obliged and send back to correct the steak. In the end, the manager gave us a free dessert for the inconvenience.

yeah at one time you could fill up your car then pay , but too many people where filling up their cars then driving off. Your idea would keep people from trying to get a free meal but I would not like to have to pay before getting a meal. I have gotten meals that looked horrible or where nothing like the menu said about it and I had the meal send back.
 
There is a sports bar in Newport Beach that requires a credit card or a deposit in advance. Strange.
 
Same as for fast foods...pay before you eat....inside or at the take-out window...I read about these 2 teens that drove up to the BK take out window on a mini-bike...grabbed the food and took out before paying...a police officer just happened to drive by and got behind them...they threw the Whoppers on the street and outran the officer on that mini-bike....:giggle:
 
One time at a steakhouse, I ordered a steak and they didn't cook what I wanted it cooked. So I told the waiter about the issue, and she brought the manager to the table. I explained to the manager what I want the steak cooked, so the manager obliged and send back to correct the steak. In the end, the manager gave us a free dessert for the inconvenience.

I once went to a restaurant with my sister and her husband and I order some sausages and they where not cooked all the way so I send them back and when I was just about to eat the last bite there was dead fly under the sausage ! I freaked out and called my waiter over and told him I was not going to pay for my meal. The waiter could the manger to my table and I talk louder when I am pissed off , the manger was trying to keep me quite and I told him my sausages where first not cooked then I find dead fly under it that the cook had put there ! I did not have pay for my meal. And I was not about to order anything else.

My dad use to pretend he was not going to pay for his meals and he once told this to a young girl and asked her where the back door was so he skip out of paying. The poor girl was so frighten that told my dad where the back
door was. My poor mom was trying not to laugh as she know dad was joking ,
yes he paid for the meals and gave the girl a good tip.
 
Nothing? Nah if there is hard labor camp for punishment exist here, he won't take advantage of the system. Who want to do shit work for nothing?

This guy takes advantage by eating without paying on purpose and he knows the loopholes. Looks like nothing is going to stop him from going to restaurant to eat without paying.

What would happen if they change the restaurant policy... order something from menu, then pay first before they bring the foods to the table to eat? It's similar to when people fills their car with gas then drives off without paying, they changed that to prepay first before pumping gas in.
 
Unfortunately, our government is not like what China does to criminals. We need to toughen up on criminals... it's like a slap on a wrist for theft offenses.

Nothing? Nah if there is hard labor camp for punishment exist here, he won't take advantage of the system. Who want to do shit work for nothing?
 
The guy had just spent 2 months in jail got out and did it the next day. He's either mental, or really liked it jail and wanted to go back :D
 
The guy had just spent 2 months in jail got out and did it the next day. He's either mental, or really liked it jail and wanted to go back :D

And he's wasting everyone's money in the process. I think all restaurants should request a credit card and your license after you make the order, be able to verify the credit is good and the card is actually yours before you order a meal you can't/won't pay for. It'd be a great way of helping people that got their card stolen too....I think I remember reading where a woman ordered a meal and gave the waitress her credit card and the waitress realized it was her card that was stolen out of her purse. She had the sense to act like nothing was wrong and called the police who came in and arrested the woman sitting at the table for theft.
 
And he's wasting everyone's money in the process. I think all restaurants should request a credit card and your license after you make the order, be able to verify the credit is good and the card is actually yours before you order a meal you can't/won't pay for. It'd be a great way of helping people that got their card stolen too....I think I remember reading where a woman ordered a meal and gave the waitress her credit card and the waitress realized it was her card that was stolen out of her purse. She had the sense to act like nothing was wrong and called the police who came in and arrested the woman sitting at the table for theft.

I rememberr that...seems it was the waitress or the hostess' card....and it was her pix on it....:shock:
 
I rememberr that...seems it was the waitress or the hostess' card....and it was her pix on it....:shock:

Yes....poor thing, all she recovered was her card and some sweet justice but the woman at the table made off with the cash she stole from this girl and made several purchases on her card too. I really hope she was able to get her finances straightened out once they had the person responsible in jail.....
 
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