$1 Felony: Mark Abaire Arrested After Stealing A Cup Of Soda From McDonald’s

$1 Felony: $1 Soda Sends Man To Prison

A man is facing felony charges after failing to pay for a $1 soda.

Mark Abaire, 52, allegedly walked out of McDonald’s in East Naples, Florida after filling a water courtesy cup with soda from the fountain machine without paying for the drink.

The manager reportedly approached the man, who sat outside the establishment after filling his cup, to ask for the payment but Abaire declined to pay and cursed at him instead. Abaire also refused to leave the area.

Abaire was charged with petty theft but it was found out that he has theft convictions in the past and thus, the charge was upgraded from a misdemeanor to a felony.

A third-degree felony in Florida can result in a sentence of up to a 5-year imprisonment and a $5,000 fine.

Additional misdemeanor counts of trespassing and disorderly intoxication were also filed against him.

"While speaking to Mark, he had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his facial area when he spoke," the police report reads. "Mark spoke with a thick slur and was at times uncomprehensible [sic.] Mark had bloodshot, watery eyes. Mark swayed front to back and had difficult times keeping his balance." 

He remained in the Collier County jail over the weekend, with bond set at $6,500.

With reports from the Naples Daily News and the Associated Press