Midland Man Sentenced To Prison For Stealing From Convenience Store He Worked At
By: Dylan Brooks
Updated: February 21, 2013
MIDLAND -- A Midland man will spend the next two decades in a Texas prison, after he allegedly stole money from the convenience store he worked at.
A Midland County jury sentenced James Emmitt Wilson to 20 years in prison on Thursday morning.
Jurors took an hour and 45 minutes to deliberate on the sentence (which could have ranged from 2 to 20 years).
Jurors convicted Wilson, 40, of an enhanced charged of felony theft (more than $1,500 and less than $20,000) after 2 hours and 40 minutes of deliberation on February 20th.
Wilson -- a former cashier at a Stripes Convenience Store on East TX 158 in Midland -- stole $7,737 from the store on November 6, 2011.
Wilson was working alone between midnight and 6 AM -- when the money was stolen from the store.
Evidence at trial showed that Wilson and his partner -- Jackie Slade -- stole the money and removed the store's surveillance recording system (which included 12 cameras).
The store's manager said that everything was normal as of 8 PM on November 5, 2011.
However, as of 7 AM on November 6, 2011, the manager noticed that the money, surveillance system and bolts to the locked back office door had been removed.
Additionally all the cashier cash drop slips were missing except for Wilson's.
The cashier who worked before Wilson's shift reportedly told police that Slate was sitting outside the store 2 hours before Wilson was left alone in charge.
Police later found $390 in missing quarters inside Wilson and Slate's bedroom.
The quarters were reportedly stashed in a Texas Lottery bag -- which is commonly found in convenience stores.
The remaining $7,347 and the recording system were never found.
Slate and Wilson were later arrested.
Slate was sentence to 12 years in prison in September 2012.
Meanwhile, Wilson's sentence was enhanced because had previously been convicted of 4 different felonies -- including 3 aggravated robberies in 1991 and a riot in 1996.
The jury in Wilson's trial -- which was held in the 238th Judicial District Court -- consisted of 7 women and 5 men.
The Honorable Judge Elizabeth Leonard presided over the case.
A Midland County jury sentenced James Emmitt Wilson to 20 years in prison on Thursday morning.
Jurors took an hour and 45 minutes to deliberate on the sentence (which could have ranged from 2 to 20 years).
Jurors convicted Wilson, 40, of an enhanced charged of felony theft (more than $1,500 and less than $20,000) after 2 hours and 40 minutes of deliberation on February 20th.
Wilson -- a former cashier at a Stripes Convenience Store on East TX 158 in Midland -- stole $7,737 from the store on November 6, 2011.
Wilson was working alone between midnight and 6 AM -- when the money was stolen from the store.
Evidence at trial showed that Wilson and his partner -- Jackie Slade -- stole the money and removed the store's surveillance recording system (which included 12 cameras).
The store's manager said that everything was normal as of 8 PM on November 5, 2011.
However, as of 7 AM on November 6, 2011, the manager noticed that the money, surveillance system and bolts to the locked back office door had been removed.
Additionally all the cashier cash drop slips were missing except for Wilson's.
The cashier who worked before Wilson's shift reportedly told police that Slate was sitting outside the store 2 hours before Wilson was left alone in charge.
Police later found $390 in missing quarters inside Wilson and Slate's bedroom.
The quarters were reportedly stashed in a Texas Lottery bag -- which is commonly found in convenience stores.
The remaining $7,347 and the recording system were never found.
Slate and Wilson were later arrested.
Slate was sentence to 12 years in prison in September 2012.
Meanwhile, Wilson's sentence was enhanced because had previously been convicted of 4 different felonies -- including 3 aggravated robberies in 1991 and a riot in 1996.
The jury in Wilson's trial -- which was held in the 238th Judicial District Court -- consisted of 7 women and 5 men.
The Honorable Judge Elizabeth Leonard presided over the case.
