Snohomish County man gets life for $60 and smokes

BY Chris Sullivan  on December 13, 2012 @ 5:49 am (Updated: 8:33 am - 12/13/12 )

A 29-year-old Snohomish County man will spend the rest of his life in prison after robbing a convenience store for cigarettes and cash.

Keith Puett was sentenced yesterday to life in prison for stealing eight packs of Marlboro's and $60.

The punishment might be considered a little harsh, but this was Puett's third strike. The Everett Herald reports he has two previous convictions for second degree assault.

What makes this case strange is that Puett pleaded guilty to the crime knowing he would spend the rest of his life locked up.

He said he made the unusual move because he didn't want to be kept from communicating with his girlfriend in prison. Had he been convicted at trial, the prosecutor's office had said it would have asked that he have no contact with her.

Chris Sullivan, KIRO Radio Reporter
Chris loves the rush of covering breaking news and works hard to try to make sense of it all while telling stories about real people in extraordinary circumstances.
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Comments (20)


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  • soo purletiv wrote...
    Hmmmmm, let's recount
    December 13, 2012 6:32 pm
    "In 2002, Puett pointed a gun at two people, earning him his first strike. Two years later, he severely beat a man using a wooden post. He was convicted of second-degree assault.

    The final strike was earned on a snowy Wednesday morning when Puett and his friend, Shane Moy, pulled masks over their faces and stormed into a small store in Snohomish.

    Puett pushed a gun in the owner's face, demanding money and threatening to shoot the man.."

    Come on... Give the poor guy one more strike!

    It's not like he has killed anyone yet...

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  • dexterjibs wrote...
    I always love the liberal news headlines
    December 13, 2012 8:27 pm
    No MYNORTHWEST.COM, he is not going to prison for $60 and some smokes. he is going to prison for his felony record and pulling a gun in the face of an innocent clerk and demanding money and cigarettes. Hey Chris SUllivan, you num-nut, put yourself in the shoes of the victim before you you try to minimize the crime of a thug.
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  • dexterjibs wrote...
    hey messiah101 you friggin idiot
    December 13, 2012 8:35 pm
    This guy is not a thief, he is a robber. there is a difference, please educate yourself. And this felony thug is one person i would be happy to pay taxes for to keep in prison. Cheezus you are so ignorant.
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