ADDICTION FUELS A LIFE OF CRIME FOR AREA MAN

'I'm Convinced There Are a Lot of Rickys Out There'

SHELBY -- Emanuel Osborne Howell has seen the inside of a jail cell
more times than most.

Howell, better known as "Ricky," has more than 50 larceny convictions
on a criminal record that spans more than 30 years.

Police say Howell, 55, steals to finance a drug addiction.

Feeding the Addiction

"Ricky is a good person, good heart, but Ricky has a drug problem,"
said Shelby Police Detective Rafus Camp.

Camp, who has worked Howell's cases for more than 20 years, said
Howell's several dozen larceny convictions stem from his addiction to
crack cocaine.

He has stolen ham, deodorant and body wash, Camp said. Anything of
value that could be sold or traded for drugs, he steals, then he gets
caught, is jailed and within a few weeks or months is back on the
street to repeat the process.

Howell may have a unique story, but his problem is shared by
many.

The Court System

"People don't generally steal goods to use; they steal goods to sell,"
said District Attorney Rick Shaffer.

Shaffer said a "substantial" number of drug-addicted residents in
Cleveland County steal everything from air compressors to TVs to
tools, then take them to trade shows or flea markets and sell them for
pennies on the dollar to finance their addiction.

He said if the items stolen are valued under $1,000, as in many of
Howell's convictions, the crime is a misdemeanor. And it takes five
prior misdemeanor convictions before the accused can face the 120-day
maximum penalty for misdemeanor larceny.

Many times, offenders are assigned community service and serve no time
in jail because of restrictions in jail space, Shaffer said. And
unlike other crimes, such as assault, there is no criminal charge for
habitual misdemeanor theft.

"You have a lot of people that engage in shoplifting, which is a
misdemeanor, and there is no way to really up the ante to the felony
level," he said.

"The real issue is what type of punishment do we need for those types
of people," Shaffer said of drug addicts. "If they don't want to
change their behavior, there's nothing the courts or anyone else can
do about it.

"It's not a simple question and there are no simple
answers."

Back in Jail

According to police records, Howell was seen stealing eight sticks of
deodorant March 25 from CVS Pharmacy on Grover Street. He was in back
in jail March 27 on charges of stealing lawn furniture and is
currently serving a 120-day jail sentence at the Neuse Correctional
Institution in Goldsboro.

Attempts to contact Howell at the prison were unsuccessful.

Camp said Howell has a supportive family and a sister in Colorado who
offered to give him money, but he won't take it, indicating he doesn't
want to use their money to buy drugs for himself.

"A lot of these people want help. They're not bad people," Camp said.
"I'm convinced there are a lot of Rickys out there."

[sidebar]

DON'T BE A VICTIM

Residents and businesses are victims of robbery and theft nearly every
day in Cleveland County. Here are ways you can protect yourself:

Make sure you have serial numbers for all electronics. For valuables
without serial numbers, note any identifying marks. If the items are
stolen, this information will help police identify them and return
them to you if found.

If you are a victim of theft, file a report with police. Shelby
Police Detective Rafus Camp said some storeowners and residents don't
file reports because the loss is so small and they suspect they know
who is at fault.

District Attorney Rick Shaffer said reporting the crime, no matter
how small, is important. Not reporting crimes will give criminals the
message they can continue what they're doing without fear of being
caught.

Filing reports, Shaffer said, is the first step in making an arrest
and -- depending on a prior record -- can lead to longer sentences for
those responsible.

"Especially if they reach felony level," he said.