Identity Theft: Has Belmar gone too far?
A Toms River resident named Ryan Ward was recently charged with theft by deception and two counts of disorderly conduct for impersonating Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain. He faces more than a year in prison based on these charges. Allegedly Ward used his resemblance to Joba Chamberlain to impress women, sign autographs, and receive free food from atleast one local restaurant.
Identity theft is a serious problem these days and should not be treated lightly. However, in this case these charges seem fairly ridiculous. Mr. Ward, although he should not have been impersonating Joba Chamberlain, did not harm or alarm anyone as a result of his actions. At the most he received some free food based on his false misrepresentations. Moreover, he returned to the bagel shop where he received the free food and paid for it. In fact, the bagel store owner himself said he didn't think that it was a big deal and that Mr. Ward should not go to prison for his actions.
Here, it seems like a serious waste of time and taxpayer money to come down so hard on Mr. Ward. If the police had informed Mr. Ward of the serious potential consequences of his actions and "suggested" he cease impersonating Joba Chamberlain or face serious charges, justice would have been done. This would have avoided the necessity of court dates, adjournments, and the like which prevent the Belmar Municipal Court from tending to other, more pressing matters.
The exciting and fairly interesting article concerning "The Impersonation of Joba Chamberlain" can be found at APP.com.
