Man who said he was 'massaging' meat gets 10 years

[February 04, 2010]  ORANGEBURG, S.C. (AP) -- A South Carolina man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for stealing an $80 slab of meat.

 The Times and Democrat of Orangeburg reported Thursday that 51-year-old Mark Zachary of Orangeburg received the maximum sentence after jurors found him guilty Wednesday of shoplifting. Prosecutors said the sentence was justified because the Aug. 26 theft from Reid's grocery store in Orangeburg was his ninth offense.

Authorities said when a store manager approached Zachary about the missing New York strip and the big bulk under his shirt, he fled, right into the arms of an off-duty police officer.

Assistant Solicitor Glenn Justis asked jurors "Where's the beef?" in his opening argument.

Zachary testified he was "massaging" the meat, not stealing it.

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Information from: The Times & Democrat, http://www.timesanddemocrat.com

[Associated Press]

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