Dade City man steals deodorant to repay drug debt, police say

DADE CITY — His nickname is Priest and he had a $40 drug debt to pay off. So on Thursday afternoon, Robert McCray — a 37-year-old felon with "Thug Life" tattooed on his chest — headed into a CVS Pharmacy on U.S. 301, according to the Dade City Police Department.

He needed something to barter off his debt. Authorities say McCray chose deodorant.

He stuffed 19 packages of antiperspirant — $84 worth — inside his jacket and tried to head outside, the police report said.

Store employees noticed the stolen sticks and stopped McCray, the report said. They told him to pay for them.

He dropped four packages on the ground, the report said, and tried to flee.

The employees weren't having it. They tried to hold him. He fought. The employees won and detained him until police officers arrived.

McCray told police he took the deodorant to pay back a friend over a drug debt. The report said officers found a crack pipe and small bag of crack cocaine on McCray.

A CVS manager declined to talk Friday about what happened, so it is not known whether any employees were hurt. McCray has a swollen, bruised eye in his mug shot.

McCray, of 38520 Wilson St. in Dade City, is charged with retail theft, resisting a merchant, possession of crack cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia. He remained at the Land O'Lakes jail Friday in lieu of $5,450 bail.

McCray has previously served six prison sentences for a total of eight years on convictions for drugs, grand theft auto and burglary.

Erin Sullivan can be reached at esullivan@sptimes.com or (727) 869-6229.