Most people get into the holiday spirit by giving gifts, spreading good will and generally being in a more cheerful mood than at other times. There are exceptions to every rule, however, and over the years a few people have deviated from the true meaning of Christmas to engage in some form of criminal activity. These bizarre incidents include:
- Slithering into the Season
In 2012, Donald Laigast Jr. was released from prison after serving time for robbery. In December, the owner of a pet shop in Slidell, 
Louisiana, noticed that his door had been left ajar. He summoned the police and they discovered that the cash register, a $600 python and two boas were missing. Authorities searched the surrounding area and located three snakes on the floor of an abandoned building, along with Laigast’s jail ID card. The detective in charge of the case noted, ‘aggressive police work was not required to determine that these were the same three snakes that had recently been stolen from a near-by pet store.’
- Frosty the Felon
Every child loves Frosty the Snowman, believing him to be a ‘jolly, happy soul.’ Imagine their major disappointment when Frosty starts to act like a complete maniac. In 2011, a Maryland Christmas Parade took an icy turn when 52-year-old Kevin Michael Walsh in a Frosty costume, decided that respecting the kids, law enforcement and the general theme of Christmas was too much for him. In a total deviation from the snowman’s cheerful character, Walsh kicked the dog of a K-9 officer and physically assault his handler. Police officers were forced to subdue the crazed snowman, by pinning him to the ground. Walsh was then charged with disorderly conduct and ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation, due to the uncharacteristic attack.
- Giving the Gift of Ganja
Even though he normally gives his gifts out on Christmas Eve, Santa can sometimes arrive a bit late. A Buffalo Wild Wings outlet was shocked when a man claiming to be the real Santa Claus entered the sports bar one January day. He began handing out gifts to the patrons, 
who were surprised to discover their packages contained small amounts of marijuana. Although some of the customers silently pocketed theirs, other vigilant patrons called the police who came and arrested the self proclaimed Santa. He turned out to be 57 year-old Randy Lange, who was subsequently charged with ‘furnishing marijuana.’
- Heralding a Heart Attack
In December 2014, Tarus Scott and Gerard Dupree came up with an excellent plan to provide all their family members with fantastic gifts, at no cost to either of them. They entered a local Walmart, filled up a trolley with $400 worth of goods and headed towards the exit. As they were walking, Dupree fell to the floor clutching his chest in an effort to distract the staff and other customers. Scott then made a getaway with the trolley filledb with goodies. Unfortunately for the duo, the entire incident was caught on camera and they were arrested soon after, and charged with grand theft.
gavinreese.com 