Ladies and gentlemen, brace yourselves for a tale of betrayal and scandal that you won’t believe. A firefighter, someone we typically see as a hero, has admitted to stealing from a car crash victim. This shocking story has all the twists and turns of a crime drama, but it’s all too real.
Arnold Britt, a 40-year-old firefighter, pleaded guilty to charges of receiving stolen property and fraudulent use of a credit card. The St. Louis County prosecutor’s office announced this grim turn of events on Monday. It all started in the early hours of February 26, 2023, when a horrific car crash occurred in St. Louis, killing four people and injuring four others.
Among the injured was 18-year-old Seven Robinson-Laney. As he lay injured, waiting to be taken to the hospital, Britt approached him. He asked Robinson-Laney for his wallet under the pretense of needing identification. However, Britt never returned it. Instead, he pocketed $674 in cash, $200 in gift cards, and used Robinson-Laney’s debit card to rack up $120 in charges.
Britt, a former University of Missouri football player, was charged last October after a grand jury indictment. Police uncovered his crime by reviewing bodycam and surveillance footage from the crash scene and three stores where he used the stolen debit card. Britt claimed he used the card by accident, thinking it belonged to his wife, and planned to notify the owner. Sure, Britt, we believe you.
Missouri firefighter steals wallet from victim at scene of a car crash that killed four: Arnold Britt, 40, pleaded guilty to receiving stolen property and fraudulent use of the credit card after pocketing Seven Robinson-Laney’s wallet at the scene of a… https://t.co/SOgYolNhwx pic.twitter.com/XaiTvhXHOf
— Janie Johnson – America is Exceptional (@jjauthor) July 17, 2024
Robinson-Laney, who had been saving the cash and gift cards to buy a car, was devastated. The crash itself was tragic enough, knocking a 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe off an overpass and onto its roof after being struck by a 2004 Chevrolet Impala. Four of Robinson-Laney’s friends—Richard Boyd, 19; Bryanna Dentman-Johnson, 18; Corntrail McKinley, 20; and Anthony Robinson, 19—died in the crash. Robinson-Laney suffered a concussion and broken bones.
He recounted how Britt asked for his wallet as he awaited transport to the hospital, gave him back his ID but kept the wallet. He realized his wallet was missing 12 days later and reported it to the police, initially suspecting an officer had taken it. Police footage revealed Britt’s betrayal, showing him taking the wallet from Robinson-Laney’s pocket and slipping it into his jacket.
Saying his actions “put a stain on the community and the department,” Arnold Britt pleaded guilty Monday to felony and misdemeanor. Sentencing set for Sept. 6. https://t.co/yJGE1bbVG5
— St. Louis Post-Dispatch (@stltoday) July 16, 2024
Robinson-Laney expressed his shock to KSDK, saying, “That was crazy to me because it’s like you don’t really hear about firefighters doing stuff like that.” He detailed how Britt seemed practiced at this, handling the wallet with disturbing familiarity.
Further surveillance footage showed Britt’s car at three locations where he used the stolen debit card: Waterway carwash, GRWC Brite Worx gas station, and an Alta convenience store. Police identified Britt by showing images from the footage to his firehouse captains. Britt was initially placed on administrative leave but was allowed back on duty after the St. Louis Circuit Attorney declined to press stealing charges. However, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office stepped in, charging him with crimes since the debit card purchases were made in the county.
Prosecutors are seeking a five-year jail sentence for receiving stolen property and one year for the fraudulent purchases. Britt’s sentencing is scheduled for September 6.