QUESTION
Can I still join the air force or the army with a misdemeanor theft on my record?
Asked on Oct 06th, 2016 on Criminal Law - Missouri
More details to this question:
Recently, I have been studying to go into either the air force reserve or the army to serve my country and finish out school. I was caught stealing $158 from the register at my job (which I'm sure I will be fired from). I'm not going to try and justify this action because I knew then and now that what I did was wrong. A lady from an agency (I can't remember the name) asked me questions about when the money was taken, why and how much and I wrote her a statement. She was not clear in what would happen next on her end, so that's one of my questions. The police arrested me at my job, I was questioned and I wrote a statement for them, received a court date and was released on $300 bond. They told me it was a misdemeanor theft. Will theft keep me from joining either branch of the military if this is the only thing that I have done?
1 ANSWER
I recommend that you hire a lawyer to get the theft charge dismissed or amended to a lesser offense. You also should talk to a recruiter to see if this will affect your ability to join the air force. It's my understanding that all branches of the military are much more strict about who they allow in, but the recruiter can tell you whether an arrest will cause you to not get in.
Answered on Oct 28th, 2016 at 7:04 PM