Ham Heist Nets Thief Two Years In Prison

A Spanish man who stole a big ham in 2011 has finally been sentenced to an enormous fine and two and a half years behind bars for his crime.

According to The Local, in 2011 a then-25-year-old man smashed the window of a parked car in Spain and made off with a whole cured ham worth about $825. He ran from the scene, but before he could eat any of his ill-gotten pork, police officers spotted him and, finding him suspicious, asked for ID. Rather than capitulate to the request, the ham thief insisted that they had no right to stop him. He attempted to fight the policemen off, but they eventually managed to arrest him.

During the altercation, however, both officers were injured. One was deemed unfit for duty for 30 days, and the other required medical treatment and three months of rehab.

The man was charged with theft and assaulting the police officers. During sentencing this week, the judge ordered the ham thief to pay $975 to the owner of the ham, and about $9,240 to the two officers. He has also been sentenced to two and a half years in prison.