Man nabs thousands of Colo. newspapers to help pal

[November 13, 2010]  ASPEN, Colo. (AP) -- A man who acknowledged stealing thousands of free copies of a Colorado resort town's two daily newspapers because his friend was named in police blotters has made a public apology.

The Aspen Daily News and The Aspen Times both printed an apology letter Friday from 23-year-old Mitchell Reed of Carbondale, who agreed to write the apology to avoid criminal theft charges.

Reed stole thousands of papers on Nov. 5 because one of his friends was in that day's police blotter in both publications for a drug arrest. A maintenance worker told police that Reed dumped the papers in trash bins behind an area grocery store, and Reed confessed to the theft.

In his letter Friday, Reed apologized to newspaper employees and readers.

[Associated Press]

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