Jan 1, 2007

Oh, the Tangled Web We Weave

"Drop the helmet and shoes and come out with your hands up!"

That might have been a line of dialog from "America's Dumbest Criminals -- Racing Edition."  If you don't know the story, here's the background: James John Karl, a 44-year-old security guard at Texas Motor Speedway, has been detained by local Fort Worth authorities for the theft of racing paraphernalia once worn by legendary NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Sr. Karl had been hired by Texas Motor Speedway to, among other things, stand guard over the Earnhardt memorabilia, which included a driving suit, helmet and driving shoes.  The items went missing in November.

Learning that Fort Worth police suspected an "inside job" and had obtained an arrest warrant for him, Karl took the advice of his attorney and surrendered to the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office. There he posted a $1,500 bond and was released. He has been charged with theft of $500 to $1,500, a Class A misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of two years in jail and a fine of up to $4,000.

The charge doesn't exactly square with the purported value of the racing memorabilia --the racing suit alone is said to be worth between $50,000 and $100,000 -- but the slap-on-the-wrist charge likely stems from the fact that the items were returned to Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage a few days ago after Jeff Kennedy, Karl's attorney, notified the police that his client might know where the items were. Gossage had received the paraphernalia as a gift from Earnhardt in 1996.  Before they turned up absent they had been displayed in a glass case in the racetrack's gift shop.

One has to wonder what Karl planned to do with the racing suit, helmet and shoes, which, of course, were readily traceable. But perhaps the part-time security guard, who had been employed by the track since early 2005, didn't think about that before he decided to walk off with the stuff. The good news is that he won't be tempted by fate anymore. Karl was fired the day the items were returned to Gossage.