A former Oklahoma resident has found that she spent the last two decades with a felony charge to her name after failing to return a rented VHS tape.
Caron McBride’s legal troubles stem from a VHS copy of ‘Sabrina the Teenage Witch’ which was rented back in 1999 from Movie Place in Norman.
McBride says she assumes it was rented by a roommate.
But when the tape was never returned it was her that was charged with felony embezzlement of rented property in March of 2000.
The rental store ultimately closed in 2008, but the charge remained.
McBride says she only learned of the charge in the last year when she got married in Texas and tried changing her name.
She now fears the charge has been secretly plaguing her life for years – and could be why she has missed out on job opportunities.
Caron McBride recently learned she was charged with a felony for an overdue rented VHS tape
The VHS tape was of ‘Sabrina the Teenage Witch,’ which was rented from Movie Place in 1999
‘I went to change my driver’s license, during this COVID thing you had to make an appointment, and so, I sent them an email [and] they sent me an email and they told me…that I had an issue in Oklahoma and this was the reference number for me to call this number and I did,’ McBride said to FOX 25.
When she called, she was directed to the Cleveland County District Office, who relayed the charge to her.
‘The first thing she told me was felony embezzlement, so, I thought I was gonna have a heart attack,’ McBride said.
‘She told me it was over the VHS tape and I had to make her repeat it because I thought, ‘This is insane. This girl is kidding me, right?”
‘She wasn’t kidding,’ McBride added.
McBride placed the blame squarely on a roommate of hers who had two daughters and possibly rented the VHS for them.
‘I had lived with a young man, this was over 20 years ago,’ McBride said. ‘He had two kids, daughters that were 8, 10 or 11 years old, and I’m thinking he went and got it and didn’t take it back or something.
‘I have never watched that show in my entire life, just not my cup of tea.’
McBride (left) pictured with her husband. She learned of the charge against her after she tried to have her legal name changed following her marriage in Texas
The charge against McBride has since been dropped, but her record hasn’t been expunged
She added, ‘Meanwhile, I’m a wanted felon for a VHS tape.’
Thankfully for McBride, that’s no longer the case. On Wednesday, the charge was dismissed after the DA’s office reviewed the case.
Ed Blau with Blau Law Firm says she still needs the case to be expunged to clear her record, though.
McBride says she has experienced problems in the past, including being let go from several jobs without explanation.
‘This is why…because when they ran my criminal background check, all they’re seeing is those two words: felony embezzlement,’ McBride said.
‘I mean, I didn’t try to deceive anyone over ‘Samantha [sic] the Teenage Witch.’ I swear,’ McBride said, mispronouncing the name of the VHS tape that has given her so much trouble.
According to KFOR, McBride is looking at hiring an attorney to help get her record expunged.
‘It’s a serious issue,’ McBride said to the station. ‘It’s caused me and my family a lot of heartache financially because of the positions I’ve lost because of those two words. Something’s got to give.’
Felony embezzlement in Oklahoma can carry a prison sentence up to two to eight years, as well as a fine between $5,000 and $10,000.
