Blockbuster may be long gone (well, except for that one in Oregon that they’ve turned into an AirBnB).
But if you’re still holding on to any of those VHS rentals thinking you’re in the clear because…well, you outlasted the company, you may want to think again.
A Texas woman recently got quite the surprise when she tried to change her name on her drivers’ license after getting married and found out that she had an open felony charge for embezzlement – for failing to return a VHS rental over 20 years ago.
Caron McBride was shocked to learn that the charges had been filed way back in 2000 when she didn’t return a copy of “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” to the Movie Place in Norman, Oklahoma after renting it in 1999.
“I about had a heart attack.”
McBride said she’s been rejected from various jobs over the years, and now suspects that the open felony embezzlement charge is to blame.
Man, imagine losing a job over a VHS copy of “Sabrina the Teenage Witch.”
And the kicker? McBride doesn’t even remember renting the movie (not like it’s something I would admit remembering either). But she claims that it may have been a man who she was living with at the time renting the movie for his daughters.
First of all, how the hell is it a FELONY charge to not return a video tape? It’s obviously been awhile since I’ve rented, or bought, or even seen a VHS tape, but I definitely don’t remember them costing THAT much. I mean, what were they, $20? I know they weren’t out here charging hundreds of dollars for VHS tapes that you had to hope weren’t all crinkled up when you rented them and had to rewind yourself before you returned them to the store.
A FELONY? That’s insane.
Well luckily for McBride the District Attorney has dismissed her charges – because apparently prosecuting somebody for not returning a video tape 21 years ago would have been a waste of resources or something I guess. Or maybe it’s just because the video store isn’t even in business any more. Either way, I don’t think anybody cares about the rogue “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” tape after all this time.
But unfortunately McBride will still have to get an attorney to have the charges expunged from her record if she wants to be completely free of the teenage witch’s curse.
So now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to go figure out how to return a copy of “Scary Movie 2” that I still have in my DVD collection that it turns out Blockbuster may still be interested in.
