A man is facing two to eight years in state prison after being convicted of stealing over $7,000 in diamonds from Walmart.
Matthew Patrick Gay was sentenced on May 2 for various offenses, including retail theft and failure to appear in court (both third-degree felonies), after being found guilty of stealing seven diamond rings totaling $7,362.50 from a Walmart in Athens, Pennsylvania.
According to Bradford County District Attorney Richard Wilson, Gay’s criminal past of “thievery” contributed to his extended jail sentence.
Why It Matters
Gay faced identical accusations in New York, which were dismissed; thus, Pennsylvania is the only state where he is expected to serve a jail sentence.
What To Know
The tape captured Gay repeatedly swiping the rings. His strategy was to ask a salesperson to look at a particular diamond ring. When their backs were turned, he replaced the ring with a fake from his pocket, according to the office of the Bradford County District Attorney.
Gay’s conviction stemmed from burglaries that occurred a few years ago, as the Athens Township Police Department charged him with felony retail theft in 2022.
However, he failed to appear at his sentencing hearing; therefore, a default in necessary appearance count was added to his previous charges.
Gay was convicted of similar crimes while on the run in Berks County, Pennsylvania, in 2024. He received a sentence of five to twenty-four months in prison.
This year, Wilson returned to Bradford County, where he was “sentenced to an overall minimum of 23 months plus 258 days to a maximum of 95 months in state prison for multiple offenses,” according to his Facebook post.
Gay was also charged with grand larceny in New York “for doing the same thing,” according to the district attorney, but the charges were later dismissed.
What Happens Next
Gay has a potential punishment of more than seven years in prison.
