Woman Fights To Clear Embezzlement Charge After She Forgot To Return VHS Tape In 1999

A woman was living with an embezzlement charge on her record for more than 20 years.

According to court documents, a woman rented three VHS tapes back in February 1999. Two were returned, but one is still out there. Court documents said it was never returned and she was charged with a felony for embezzlement.

“There was no way for her to know she had this warrant without calling a sheriff’s office and saying, ’Hey, do I have a warrant for my arrest or anything?'” said Ed Blau with Blau Law Firm said.

The movie the woman failed to return was Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Its value is $58.59. Blau looked into the case and said it is rare for someone to have a warrant out for their arrest for 21 years.

“A prosecutor files charges on somebody for something serious they're going to go find that person. Law enforcement is. Whereas on something like this you know they're just going to wait until the person gets pulled over for speeding and gets taken into custody. This is a very unusual situation to say the least,” Blau said.

The woman couldn't even return the movie if she wanted to. The Cleveland County Accessor's Office said they closed their account with the business in 2009. The charges have recently been dismissed, but they remain on her record.

“If she ran a full a full background check on herself through OSBI, it would come up that she was charged with a felony. For her to have a clear name, she would need to hire an attorney to fully expunge her record,” Blau said. 

Cleveland County's Assistant District Attorney Travis White said she does have the right to seek an expungement, and if it's appropriate, it will be granted.