When Danny E. Barnett pushed

a shopping cart full of unbagged groceries past the cash registers and

into the front lobby of the Fayetteville Publix grocery store in June

of last year, he was confronted by an employee who thought he was planning

to take off with the merchandise.

Barnett contends he planned

to return inside the store to pay for the groceries after entering the

lobby to get water that was on sale. He also said he had a blank check

in his wallet to pay for the groceries, but Fayetteville police officer

Bob Stavenger testified that when Barnett was arrested, there was no check,

no cash nor any credit cards in Barnett's wallet.

A Fayette County State Court

Jury found Barnett guilty Wednesday of shoplifting. State Court Judge

Fletcher Sams sentenced Barnett, 42, of Clayton County, to 60 days in

jail. Barnett will serve the remainder of the year sentence on probation

and he must also stay away from the Fayette Pavilion where the incident

occurred, according to the judge's order.

Melissa Karanicas, who was

front end supervisor for the store when the incident occurred, testified

that when she confronted Barnett the shopping cart full of groceries was

already on the concrete part of the sidewalk outside the front lobby.

Barnett admitted that he swore

at Karanicas during the confrontation before retreating to his car in

the parking lot.

Barnett also testified that

he had given the last amount of cash from his wallet to his son to use

at the Dixieland amusement park.

Karanicas said the total cost

of the items in Barnett's cart eclipsed $200 when she and another employee

rang them up after he left.

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