What's your "I was the only one to get away" story?

I used to shop lift between the ages of 15-16. It was overseas, I was a military brat. I kind of got caught up in the wrong people at school (something about overseas military bases make the dependents real fucking trouble makers). I saw a "friend" steal a CD from the BX. There was a huge rush, it seemed so easy. I started to follow suit. Before I knew it maybe a month or 2 later, everyone even remotely attached to our circle of friends was stealing. We had a ring going... I mean, a very large ring. I could easily say we were swiping $2000 worth of merchandise, A WEEK. We would sell the goods for damn near nothing (a carton of ciggs for $25, a CD for $3, a car stereo for $50, a gibson guitar for $350, etc. etc.), and use the money to buy things we couldn't swipe, that we shouldn't of had (like used cars, that we would never register and just wrap around trees doing stupid shit in them in the forest and just walk away).

One by one, every one that I knew was slowly getting caught. Always about 6 months later they would end up with their punishment, which would be like community service and loss of use of the base facilities. I was one of the last ones to not get caught, but I wanted out. It was getting way to risky, and my dad was security forces and would literally hint in passing things like "you know they are watching for you..."

One day these 2 bully kids I knew at the school wanted me to get a car stereo from the BX. I told them I was out. Then it became a huge ordeal, and I was consistently getting beat up and picked on in school. Finally I told them the only way to get it is if they were to go in with me and help block my view from the camera. That was a bullshit story. I knew the safe areas to snatch things, and I knew that camera would spot us.

To my amazement, I made it out of there. The next day at school everyone was freaking out and said the whole store was on major lock down and storming with security forces. All showing my picture, asking if anyone knew me. I got home from school and my dad was waiting. All he had to say was "hey dumbass guess who I had to identify on camera to my work force today, get everything you've ever stolen and you are coming with me". I grabbed like 2 CDs, and we headed to the cop station.

I explained in my statement that those kids were making me do it, and how I didn't feel like I had a choice. I was released, and that was the end of it for me. Needless to stay, no body ever wanted me to take anything for them again, so it worked. Everyone else who had gotten caught kept receiving their punishments. About 6 months down the line the two that were with me lost their IDs and base privileges, got community service. 2 months later someone who got caught after me, same thing. I felt I guess I was in the clear. Never talked to my dad about it, never asked. Never stole anything again, never even considered it. I'm 31 now. Before hand I never thought I would be capable of doing something like that, and not sure I ever truly wanted to. I really do just chock it up as wrong place wrong time wrong people, and right place right time and right people to get out of it. I'm sure my Dad pulled some strings.

/r/AskReddit Thread