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A Lancaster man with a history of shoplifting was handed down a 20-year prison sentence after a York County courtroom trial, Channel 9's newspaper partner, the Herald in Rock Hill, reported.
Donald Ray Altman, 48, was sentenced after being found guilty of shoplifting, four counts of possession of stolen goods and altering a license tag, according to a release from the 16th Circuit Solicitor's Office. Because of his lengthy criminal history for stealing, Altman faced up to 55 years in prison on the charges.
Altman was seen shoplifting from the Family Dollar Store on Heckle Boulevard in Rock Hill in May 2010, according to evidence presented in the trial. The manager saw Altman drive away with the stolen merchandise, and called police with a description and tag number for the getaway car.
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A Rock Hill police officer spotted the car shortly after. Investigators said they found stolen merchandise from the Family Dollar store inside the car, along with stolen merchandise from the Lowe's on Springdale Road, the CVS on Heckle Boulevard, the Walmart on Dave Lyle Boulevard and the Big Lots on Cherry Road.