Student arrested for returning stolen textbooks for money
University Police (UP) arrested USF student Jeff Sheridan Monday morning for returning books he did not purchase at the USF Barnes and Nobles bookstore, according to a police report.
According to the report, Sheridan, an Oracle cartoonist, faces two felony charges: grand theft in the third degree and dealing in stolen property.
Sheridan was released at 3:20 p.m. from the Orient Road Jail, where he was held on a $9,500 bond – $2,000 for grant theft and $7,500 for the second charge.
On Aug. 10 at approximately 3:50 p.m., Sheridan walked into the bookstore and took five textbooks – valued at $763 – from the shelves, the report said.
Sheridan took the textbooks to the buyback cashier and sold them back to the bookstore for $137. Police records said that Sheridan had a signed receipt for selling the books.
Sheridan was caught on videotape and identified by a witness. Police reports said Sheridan made “no attempt to purchase the five textbooks prior to making a buy back transaction.”
Ross said if Sheridan is convicted, a restitution order may be given for reimbursement to the bookstore but that’s hard to determine at this point.
Sheridan was unavailable for comment.
– Kerry Klecic and Kelli Polson
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