weird crimes

Read odd news stories and other latest weird crimes news from around the world on Newser.com

Stories 101 - 120 | << Prev   Next >>

Funeral Home Van Stolen, With a Body Inside

Police in Illinois recover both, separately, but are still searching for suspect

(Newser) - A thief who stole a van from a funeral home in Illinois last week probably should have expected the next development: A man's body was in the cargo area. Police in Rockford say the van belonged to Collins & Stone Funeral Home, which was in the process of handling...

He Asks Cousin for a Favor, She Steals His Lottery Payout

Amador Argueta of Houston collected more than $500K, told cousin it was worth only $20K

(Newser) - It's a strange tale of family thievery and the lottery. A 34-year-old Houston woman will go to prison after she admitted trying to dupe her cousin and steal his lottery jackpot, reports Fox News . Back in 2020, an unnamed man in New York's Nassau County won a $1...

To Steal a 10-Ton Statue, You Need a Crane and Luck

Three would-be thieves in Egypt had only one of the two

(Newser) - It's not easy to steal a 10-ton object, as three would-be thieves in Egypt have discovered the hard way. Authorities there say they arrested the trio, who were trying to make off with a 10-foot statue of Pharaoh Ramses II, reports Al Jazeera . Police say the thieves were caught...

'Real-Life Body-Snatching Case' Reaches Its Conclusion

Megan Hess sentenced to 20 years after pleading guilty to mail fraud

(Newser) - Prosecutors said what victims perceived as Megan Hess' lack of remorse would be considered at her January sentencing, and it apparently was. The former Colorado funeral home operator faced up to 20 years after pleading guilty in July to a count of mail fraud tied to a scheme in which...

Cops: Tech Worker Inspired to Steal by Office Space
Theft Allegedly Inspired by
Cult Movie Does Not End Well
in case you missed it
Jan 1, 2023 11:40 AM CST

Theft Allegedly Inspired by Cult Movie Does Not End Well

Seattle police say tech worker tried to imitate the embezzlement scheme of 'Office Space'

(Newser) - The inept criminals in the movie Office Space tried to embezzle from their company after being inspired by a scheme in Superman III. Now, in a case of life imitating art that was imitating art, a tech worker in Seattle is accused of trying to use the same scheme in...

Bringing Raccoon Into Bar Was Costly Move for Woman
Bringing Raccoon Into Bar
Costs Woman, Big-Time
in case you missed it
Jan 1, 2023 7:01 AM CST

Bringing Raccoon Into Bar Costs Woman, Big-Time

Erin Christensen of North Dakota gets a year of probation, must pay more than $1K

(Newser) - Bringing a wild raccoon into a bar will cost one North Dakota woman, quite literally. Erin Christensen, 38, pleaded guilty last week to charges of false information to law enforcement, evidence tampering, and unlawful possession of a furbearer, all misdemeanors. She was sentenced to a suspended six-month jail term and...

Former Teacher Pleads Guilty After Hockey Stick Incident

Kimberly Neubauer was seen on surveillance video throwing the stick at a boy

(Newser) - As gym class wrapped up for a bunch of 2nd graders in Princeton, Minnesota, 8-year-old Easton Johnson tossed his hockey stick onto the pile. His teacher immediately picked it back up and threw it at the boy, in a scene caught by a surveillance camera (watch it here ). Kimberly...

Santa Thief Comes Clean, and All Is Forgiven

He apologizes to store owner in South Carolina

(Newser) - Something close to a Grinch-like story has played out in South Carolina. A man in Greenville stole a Santa display, then later had a change of heart, returned, and apologized, reports Axios . As a result, restaurant owner Mayra Gallo says she won't be pressing charges. The unusual story began...

Amazon Driver Accused of Dog-Napping

Dena Vindiola says it was an honest misunderstanding, but trial is set in California

(Newser) - An Amazon delivery driver in California is in legal trouble for an unusual reason—she's accused of stealing a customer's dog. Dena Vindiola says it was all an honest misunderstanding, reports NBC San Diego , but a judge in Encinitas has a scheduled a trial next month. The saga...

Women Determined to Feed Stray Cats Are Convicted

Beverly Roberts, 85, and Mary Alston, 61, were found guilty of criminal trespassing

(Newser) - Two women's insistence on trapping and feeding an Alabama town's stray cats—an effort that involved neutering the cats at their own expense—has led to a conviction. Beverly Roberts, 85, and Mary Alston, 61, were on Tuesday sentenced to 10 days in jail (which the Montgomery Advertiser ...

'Out of Control' Cop Impersonator Arrested Again

Jeremy Dewitte, nabbed for probation violation, blames YouTube hack for latest woes

(Newser) - A registered sex offender accused of impersonating police officers at least five times in Florida has been arrested again just three months after his release from state prison. Jeremy Dewitte, arrested for a probation violation on a warrant out of Orange County, is also accused of probation violation and refusing...

After Mink Release, Plow Brought In to Clear Carcasses

Vandals released up to 40K of them from farm, and 10K remain unaccounted for

(Newser) - Vandals freed thousands of minks at a rural northwest Ohio farm, leaving an estimated 10,000 of the small carnivorous mammals unaccounted for Tuesday evening, the local sheriff said. So many minks were killed crossing a nearby road that a plow was brought in to help clear the carcasses away,...

Woman Charged With Unleashing Bees on Cops

She broke out hives as they tried to serve eviction notice

(Newser) - A Massachusetts woman is facing multiple assault and battery charges for allegedly releasing a swarm of bees on a group of sheriff's deputies, some of them allergic to bee stings, as they tried to serve an eviction notice, authorities said. Court records show Rorie S. Woods, 55, pleaded not...

Border Patrol Found More Than Pulp Inside These Pumpkins

Officials discovered $400K worth of meth in gourds arriving from Mexico

(Newser) - Last week, more than $300,000 worth of methamphetamine was uncovered at Texas' Eagle Pass Port of Entry, across from Piedras Negras in Mexico. This week, drug smugglers got a little more creative with their meth stash: cramming it into four condom-filled pumpkins, reports NBC News . A release from Customs...

Angry He Couldn't Meet Pope, US Tourist Smashes Ancient Statues

They're being assessed, repaired after Vatican incident

(Newser) - An American tourist angry he couldn't meet the pope smashed two statues at the Vatican Wednesday, authorities say. The man was at the Museo Chiaramonti, one of the Vatican Museums, when he demanded an audience with the pope and his request was declined, CNN reports, citing local media. He...

Man Clings to Back of Semi-Truck for 130 Miles

Dustin Slocum was charged with joyriding, public intoxication

(Newser) - A Kansas man has been charged with joyriding, but his ride doesn't sound like a joyful one. Police say Dustin Slocum climbed onto the back of a tractor-trailer at a shipping yard in Wichita and held on to a door bar for a 130-mile journey down Interstate 35. The...

Cyclist Charged After Teen Girls' Prank Goes Awry

Mathieu van der Poel accused of physically assaulting girls who kept knocking on his door

(Newser) - Top cyclist Mathieu van der Poel had been one of the favorites to win Sunday's world championship race in Wollongong, Australia. Instead of that, he ended up flying home to the Netherlands with a criminal conviction under his belt, reports the Guardian . It seems that a group of kids...

Kansas Man Sentenced for Illegal Autopsy Scheme

Self-taught pathology assistant Shawn Parcells gets 6 years

(Newser) - A Kansas man who admitted running an illegal autopsy scheme has been sentenced to nearly six years in prison for wire fraud. Shawn Parcells, 42, was sentenced Monday in federal court to one count of wire fraud, the US Attorney's office said. He pleaded guilty in May. As part...

Man Allegedly Sawed Off Leg as Daughter Watched

Shannon Cox of Arkansas is charged with endangering welfare of a minor

(Newser) - Authorities say a child was thrown into a state of shock after her father amputated his own leg in front of her. Per a probable cause affidavit cited by NBC News , Shannon Cox faces a felony charge of endangering the welfare of a minor in connection with the Aug. 2...

After Her Hour-Long Commute, She Saw the Man in Her Car
After Hour-Long Commute,
She Noticed the Man in Her Car
in case you missed it
Aug 28, 2022 4:40 PM CDT

After Hour-Long Commute, She Noticed the Man in Her Car

He was passed out in the back of her SUV

(Newser) - The commute sounds typical if a little long and tiring: A Rhode Island woman listened to a podcast Sunday night while making the almost hour-long drive from Providence to her job in Easton, Massachusetts. When she got to her company's parking lot, she realized she hadn't made the...

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