Housekeeper Facing Charges In Meatball Theft

Estelle Casimir, a 56-year-old housekeeper at the US Military Academy West Point, has been charged with allegedly stealing a bag of frozen meatballs.

Casimir is facing two counts of federal misdemeanor charges for stealing property (larceny) and possessing stolen property. Each count carries a possible penalty of up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. If convicted, Casimir could be sentenced to two years in jail and be given a $2,000 fine.

While her case is still ongoing, Casimir has been suspended without pay by Watson Services, where she has worked for nearly 28 years. Watson Services provides food services to West Point.

Earlier this month, Casimir pled not guilty in US District Court in White Plains, New York to the accusation. An operations manager signed an affidavit accusing Casimir of trying to sneak the meatballs out of the mess hall on January 30, but, according to Casimir, the bag of meatballs was in the garbage.

It was noted that Casimir, when initially confronted with the theft by the manager who noticed she had abandoned her post, was reluctant to admit possession of the meatballs. Instead Casimir insisted it was just garbage as she attempted to conceal a black bag with her hands when asked what she had.

Casimir claimed she found the bag in a trash container and was taking it downstairs to pitch it into another dumpster. She was subsequently arrested by military police.

If an agreement can’t be reached in the case, Casimir will return to court on April 19.

In related meatball news, in 2011 two men in Yeadon, Pennsylvania robbed a 13-year-old boy of his meatball sandwich at gunpoint. Each were arrested and remanded on $150,000 bail. Police managed to recover both the gun and the sandwich.

Do you think the charges pending against Casimir are extreme or unwarranted? Do you think perhaps she should have simply been fired?

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