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CHARLESTON, SC — A man received a $525 federal fine for not paying for a drink refill at the VA hospital in Charleston. The man says he didn’t notice a sign in the cafeteria saying refills are not free. He says an officer stopped him Wednesday after he didn’t pay for a refill, and issued him a federal citation for shoplifting. He says the officer wouldn’t let him pay for the $0.89 drink.
“I want everybody to know that I made a simple mistake, that I’m not a thief, that I’m not dishonest,” said Christopher Lewis. “I’m trying to do the right thing.”
A spokesperson for the VA hospital now says they have decided to issue a warning instead of the citation.
