A Key West man with a long history of petite theft is off to prison for 18 months.

On April 4, George O’Malley, 61, was given the sentence by Monroe County Circuit Court Judge Mark Jones after O’Malley pleaded no contest to felony petit theft and misdemeanor trespass. O’Malley has 10 previous convictions for theft going back to 2002.

His most recent offense took place on June 17, 2018, at the Chevron on Stock Island, near the Cow Key Channel Bridge. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office was called about a theft, the caller described the suspect and deputies found him in front of the Key West Golf Course across U.S. 1 from the Chevron. It was O’Malley. He had a can of Four Loko malt beverage and reportedly told the deputy he took it from the store without paying. The value was $3.11.

Store management had previously acquired a no-trespass notice for O’Malley and O’Malley told deputies he knew he wasn’t allowed in the store. The store clerk identified him as the person in the store who took the beverage, so he was arrested.

Petit theft can rise to a felony when a person has two or more previous convictions for the offense.

Assistant State Attorney Patrick Flanigan represented the state.

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