American businessman fined $1,734 for stealing dive gear

[eelnoraa]

Isn't a $1700 fine too small for the value of the stolen good @ $2800? It can make taking the risk vs reward ratio too smaller to deter more theft. The fine should be at least 10x or more of the stolen good value IMO.

 

[Flutter]

Especially, when you can be almost certain this was NOT his first time. And he got away with it before - probably in smaller shops without cameras. Thus "pass this photo around", a BEWARE for the neighboring islands & shops - I hope.

 

[wildbill9]

I need to be his dive buddy....once....then no worries about future stealing

 

[Schwob]

Andrew Stone, Scuba Thief:
I wonder how many fellows around the world with that name now are rather unpleased for potentially being thought of in that way just because of there name. Or how often an Andrew Stone somewhere, possibly a totally unsuspecting non diver gets the evil eye or "the treatment" from a diver having no idea what is going on...
If courts cannot either protect identities or identify them such that it is unmistakably clear who is meant, then they are doing everyone a disservice in that one aspect.
Otherwise, great he was caught!