CONWAY — Despite being handed a tap on the wrist by a judge Tuesday for two theft convictions, a visually impaired Conway man is appealing his case to Carroll County Superior Court.
Andrew Airey, 40, had contested the Walmart theft charges since last year, saying he thought he was scanning the non-purchased items for which he was arrested outside the store July 3, 2018. But after his trial on Nov. 5, he was found guilty by a circuit judge.
kAmpE EC:2=[ p:C6J H2D C6AC6D6?E65 3J p=7C65 %] r2E2=7@ @7 s@G6C] r@?H2J !@=:46 $8E] (:==:2> $EC@?8 H2D E96 AC@D64FE@C]k^Am
kAmx? 2 HC:EE6? @C56C 52E65 }@G] ae[ yF586 |:4926= v2C?6C 4@?G:4E65 p:C6J @7 EH@ 4@F?ED @7 E967E 2?5 24BF:EE65 9:> @7 E9C66] %96 :E6>D p:C6J H2D 4@?G:4E65 @7 DE62=:?8 H6C6 2 42? @7 4@C?65 3667 2?5 2 E@H6=]k^Am
kAmp:C6J D2:5 96 H@F=5 :?25G6CE6?E=J >:DD 2? :E6> 2E E96 D6=7\D6CG6 <:@D< 2?5 H96? E92E 92AA6?65 96 H@F=5 8@ 324< E@ E96 DE@C6 2?5 4@CC64E 9:D 3:==]k^Am
kAm%96 2CC6DE @44FCC65 27E6C (2=>2CE pDD6E !C@E64E:@? H@C<6C |2EE96H r@=6==2 D2:5 96 D2H p:C6J A=246 D@>6 A=2DE:4 FE6?D:=D :? 9:D 42CE H:E9@FE D42??:?8 E96>] pE E96 E:>6[ p:C6J H2D D9@AA:?8 H:E9 @?6 @7 9:D 52F89E6CD]k^Am
kAmr@=6==2 “:?E6C46AE65” p:C6J 2?5 D2:5 27E6C E96 4@?E6?ED @7 p:C6J’D 328D H6C6 4964<65 282:?DE E96 D6=7\4964<@FE C646:AE[ bf :E6>D H:E9 2 E@E2= G2=F6 @7 S`cf]hc H6C6 ?@E A2:5 7@C 2?5 p:C6J H2D 2CC6DE65 2E E92E A@:?E[ E96 ;F586 D2:5]k^Am
kAm(2=>2CE 2?5 A@=:46 56E6C>:?65 E92E p:C6J 925 =67E E96 DE@C6 7@FC E:>6D :? |2J 2?5 yF?6 H:E9@FE A2J:?8 7@C 2== E96 :E6>D 96 E@@<] %96 52E6D H6C6 |2J c[ yF?6 h[ yF?6 `b 2?5 yF?6 ag[ a_`g]k^Am
kAm$8E] #J2? (2==246[ 244@C5:?8 E@ v2C?6C[ E6DE:7:65 E92E E96 A@=:46 564:565 E@ 492C86 p:C6J @? 46CE2:? :E6>D E92E H6C6 ?@E A2:5 7@C]k^Am
kAm~? %F6D52J[ p:C6J H2D 324< 367@C6 v2C?6C 7@C D6?E6?4:?8]k^Am
kAm$EC@?8 925 2D<65 7@C EH@ Sd__ 7:?6D H:E9 @?6 DFDA6?565 A6?5:?8 EH@ J62CD @7 8@@5 3692G:@C 2D H6== 2D 2 `c\52J ;2:= D6?E6?46 DFDA6?565 7@C E96 D2>6 A6C:@5]k^Am
kAm%96 A@=:46 AC@D64FE@C 2=D@ 2D<65 7@C C6DE:EFE:@? 2?5 2 =6EE6C @7 2A@=@8J E@ (2=>2CE D2J:?8 E92E =6EE6CD E@ E96 65:E@C 7C@> 9:D 72>:=J >6>36CD 925 D9@H? p:C6J H2D ?@E E2<:?8 E96 4@?G:4E:@?D D6C:@FD=J]k^Am
kAm“%96 DE2E6 AC@G65 36J@?5 2 C62D@?23=6 5@F3E[ 2D J@F 2C6 2H2C6[ E92E 96 5:5 :? 724E H:==7F==J 4@?462= 2?5 DE62= :E6>D 7C@> (2=>2CE[ 2?5 :E’D 2AA2C6?E 96’D ?@E E2<:?8 C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ 7@C E92E 3J E96 724E E96C6 2C6 DE:== =6EE6CD :? E96 A2A6C 7C@> 9:D 72>:=J 244FD:?8 FD[ E96 r@?H2J !@=:46 s6A2CE>6?E[ @7 C@F89:?8 9:> FA 2?5 E96? 3=2>:?8 (2=>2CE 7@C E96 6G6?ED E92E 92AA6?65[” D2:5 $EC@?8]k^Am
kAm“%92E D6?E6?46 x C6BF6DE65 :D @?=J >2C8:?2==J >@C6 E92? H92E 2?J A=62 @776C E@ E9@D6 492C86D H@F=5 92G6 366?]”k^Am
kAmv2C?6C C67FD65 E@ 4@?D:56C E96 =6EE6CD 7C@> p:C6J’D >@E96C 2?5 8C2?5>@E96C 3642FD6 E96C6 H2D ?@ AC@@7 E92E p:C6J 925 2 92?5 :? HC:E:?8 E96>]k^Am
kAmr2E2=7@ D2:5 A6C92AD (2=>2CE D9@F=5 2A@=@8:K6 E@ p:C6J 3642FD6 E96J 42==65 9:D DA64:2= 8=2DD6D 2 “4@DEF>6]”k^Am
kAmr2E2=7@ D2:5 $EC@?8’D DE2E6>6?E :?46?E:G6D 7@C A=62D H2D “D9@4<:?8 2?5 :?2AAC@AC:2E6” 2?5 2D<65 E96 ;F586 E@ @?=J :>A@D6 7:?6D] r2E2=7@ D2:5 :7 p:C6J H2D 8:G6? 2?J :?42C46C2E:@?[ DFDA6?565 @C ?@E[ E96? 2?J E9:C5 E967E 492C86 H@F=5 36 EC62E65 2D 2 76=@?J]k^Am
kAmw@H6G6C[ E92E H@F=5 ?@E 36 E96 42D6 :7 p:C6J H2D @?=J 8:G6? 7:?6D]k^Am
kAm%96 ;F586 82G6 p:C6J EH@ Sd__ 7:?6D E92E H6C6 DFDA6?565 7@C 8@@5 3692G:@C[ 3FE v2C?6C 5:5?’E DA64:7J 9@H =@?8 E96 E6C>D @7 DFDA6?D:@? H6C6]k^Am
kAm“(92E x 92G6 :D 2 5676?52?E 4@?G:4E65 @7 EH@ D6A2C2E6 :E6>D @7 C6=2E:G6=J =@H G2=F6] %96C6 :D ?@ 6G:56?46 E92E |C] p:C6J 92D 2?J AC:@C 4C:>:?2= C64@C5[ E96C6 :D 4C65:3=6 6G:56?46 E92E 96 H2D 2 4FDE@>6C 2E (2=>2CE 7@C 2 =@?8 A6C:@5 @7 E:>6 2?5 E92E 96 H2D @? 86?6C2==J 8@@5 E6C>D H:E9 E96 7@=<D 2E (2=>2CE H9@ 96=A65 9:>[” D2:5 v2C?6C]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< E96C6 :D >@C6 G2=F6 E@ E96 DE2E6 2?5 >@C6 :?46?E:G6 E@ |C] p:C6J :7 E96 7:?6D 2C6 :>A@D65 2?5 DFDA6?565[ D@ E92E E92E’D H92E x’> 8@:?8 E@ 5@]”k^Am
kAmx? E6C>D @7 2?J ;2:= E:>6[ E96 ;F586 D2:5 4@?D:56C65 p:C6J’D C64@C5[ E96 68C68:@FD?6DD @7 E96 @776?D6D 2?5 E96 ?665 E@ 9@=5 :?42C46C2E:@? @G6C p:C6J’D 9625]k^Am
kAm“x 5@?’E E9:?< E9:D 42D6 BF2=:7:6D F?56C 2?J @7 E96D6 2?2=JD6D 7@C 6G6? E96 A@DD:3:=:EJ @7 2 DFDA6?565 ;2:= D6?E6?46[” D2:5 v2C?6C]k^Am
kAmv2C?6C 25565 E92E 3642FD6 p:C6J H2D @?=J 4@?G:4E65 @7 E2<:?8 EH@ :E6>D E@E2=:?8 AC@323=J =6DD E92? S`_[ C6DE:EFE:@? H@F=5?’E 36 H@CE9 :>A@D:?8]k^Am
kAm%96 ;F586 D2:5 4=62C=J p:C6J 925 AC@3=6>D FD:?8 E96 D6=7\D6CG:46 <:@D< 3FE (2=>2CE H2D ?@E 2? “F?H:EE:?8 G:4E:>]”k^Am
kAm“x7 |C] p:C6J[ H:E9 9:D <?@H? 4@?5:E:@? H2D 2 C68F=2C 4FDE@>6C 2E (2=>2CE 2?5 H6?E E@ E96> 7C@> E:>6 E@ E:>6 2?5 2D<65 E96> E@ DEC2:89E6? @FE A2J>6?E 7@C H92E 96 925 E2<6? :?25G6CE6?E=J[ :E D66>D E@ >6 :E H2D :?4F>36?E @? E96 4@>A2?J E@ E2<6 2E =62DE D@>6 255:E:@?2= DE6AD E@ AC@G:56 9:> H:E9 ]]] D@>6 D@CE @7 A6CD@?2= D6CG:46 E92E H@F=5 >2<6 E9:?8D 62D:6C[” D2:5 v2C?6C]k^Am
kAm“$@ x’> ?@E 8@:?8 E@ @C56C 2?J C6DE:EFE:@?[ :E’D C62==J >62?:?8=6DD 7C@> (2=>2CE’D A@:?E @7 G:6H]”k^Am
kAmw@H6G6C[ 56DA:E6 E96 =:89E D6?E6?46[ p:C6J’D 2EE@C?6J E@=5 E96 ;F586 9:D 4=:6?E H@F=5 36 D66<:?8 2 ;FCJ EC:2= :? r2CC@== r@F?EJ $FA6C:@C r@FCE]k^Am
kAm“*@FC D6?E6?46 :D E9@F89E7F= 2?5 2AAC64:2E65 :? E6C>D @7 E96 H2J J@F 2AAC@24965 :E[” D2:5 r2E2=7@] “x? @C56C 7@C >6 E@ AC6D6CG6 |C] p:C6J’D C:89ED[ x H@F=5 =:<6 @FC 2AA62= ?@E65]”k^Am
kAmp:C6J[ H9@ 564=:?65 E@ 4@>>6?E %F6D52J[ DF776CD 7C@> $E2C82C5E 5:D62D6[ 2=D@ <?@H? 2D ;FG6?:=6 >24F=2C 5686?6C2E:@?[ H9:49 42FD6D AC@8C6DD:G6 52>286 E@ E96 >24F=2[ 2? 2C62 @7 E96 C6E:?2 C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C D92CA[ DEC2:89E\29625 G:D:@?]k^Am
kAmx? |2J a_`f[ 96 H2D 762EFC65 :? 2 r@?H2J s2:=J $F? DE@CJ 23@FE 9:D C6?6H:?8 9:D H655:?8 G@HD 2E E96 qC@H? r9FC49 :? r@?H2J ':==286[ 2E H9:49 96 H2D 23=6 E@ D66 9:D H:76 2?5 J@F?8 52F89E6CD’ 7246D 4=62C=J[ E92?<D E@ DA64:2= S`_[___ “D>2CE 8=2DD6D]”k^Am
kAmp:C6J EC2?D:E:@?65 E@ 36:?8 2 DE2J\2E\9@>6 525 27E6C 2 42C66C E92E :?4=F565 9:> H@C<:?8 7@C &]$] r6==F=2C 7@C 2 564256]k^Am

(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.