Support a Good Man Facing an Unjustified Situation

My dad is in his 60s, a recovering addict who has been clean for many years and continues to work hard every single day to build a better life. After spending over 40 years running his own siding company, he had to step away because the physical demands became too much. But instead of giving up, he started over. He now works at our local Harmons as a cashier and does everything he can to make ends meet on a very tight budget.

He lives alone, relies on Social Security (which recently went down), and lost his food stamps because he’s been working too many hours—just trying to stay afloat. Still, he shows up every day with a positive attitude. Just recently, his manager pulled him aside to tell him how much customers and coworkers appreciate him. A customer even wrote in to corporate praising how kind and helpful he was. He’s truly made a difference in the community.

But a few weeks ago, he got caught in a situation that wasn’t his fault. While following company protocol at the register, he asked a senior cashier for help with an ID that wouldn’t scan. That cashier told him it was fine to proceed. What he didn’t know was that it was part of a sting operation, and an undercover officer was waiting to issue a citation. Even though the senior cashier admitted fault and spoke to the officer, my dad was the one cited.

To make matters worse, when he went to court in the City of Holladay, he was not clearly informed of his rights. He told the prosecutor he wasn’t guilty and had followed policy—but was pressured into taking a plea deal he didn’t fully understand. The way it was explained to him made him feel like he had no other choice. The city failed to acknowledge the full story, failed to give him a proper warning (as outlined in Utah law for a first offense), and took advantage of someone who was simply trying to do the right thing.

Now he’s stuck with the fallout—something he cannot afford, financially or emotionally.

If you know my dad, you know he’s not someone who asks for help. But I am—because he deserves better. He’s worked too hard and come too far to be punished for something like this. If you’re able to support him or even share this, it would mean the world to us. Thank you for reading and for believing in second chances and good people.