MOBILE, Ala. (WPMI) A man arrested Saturday for stealing money from a mosque has posted an apology on YouTube.
It happened at the Islamic American Center of Mobile.
Thirty-seven-year-old Desmon White was charged with second degree theft. White was busted in a sting operation by investigators watching the crime unfold live on a surveillance camera.
"I'm sorry that I harmed you. I have remorse for what I've done and caused you emotionally," said White in the YouTube video.
Local investigators with the State Constables say it's definitely a first, but they say don't be fooled because White is a repeat offender.
"If this had been just one time that he had done this, then we could understand it. People have hard times things happen but you know this is still a church," said Constable Rico Washington.
"I knew the risk involved of what I was doing and that's just what it is..." said White in the posted video.
Investigators say White's apology basically amounts to a confession. Investigators say the evidence is in surveillance video taken at the Mosque. They say the man seen wearing a white hoodie and a hat in the video is Desmon White.
"We had to watch hours and hours of video for several weeks at least over three weeks time," said Washington.
After all the time and effort Tuesday, investigators learned the felony charges against White were downgraded to a misdemeanor.
"We want to make sure that everything is done right," said Washington. The District Attorney's office says the down grade has nothing to do with white's video apology.
In the video, White says he needed the money to pay for travel to visit family out of town.
"My mind was whatever I got to do to get there you know I want to try my best to do it," said White in the video.
Investigators say the YouTube apology was to gain favor with prosecutors, the Muslim community and the mosque. Investigators are hoping the D.A. prosecutes this case to the fullest extent of the law.
Constables say White planned his theft spree even coming up with a device that let him break into the safe at the mosque taking just a little money at a time.
