(Michigan City, IN) - A man accused of taking merchandise at knifepoint from Meijer in Michigan City made his initial court appearance yesterday. 55 year old Richard Cope is charged in La Porte Superior Court 1 with level 3 felony robbery.
About a month ago, police said the Michigan City man was about to leave without paying for some of his merchandise. When approached by a loss prevention officer, Cope allegedly produced a knife and fled out the store. His next hearing in the case was set for April 19th.
This isn’t the first time Cope has been in trouble. In 2017, the tattoo artist was given a four year prison sentence. Authorities said he stomped on a puppy, breaking both of the dog’s hips then taped the puppy’s mouth shut. The dog was found wandering the neighborhood and later recovered. Cope fled the area. He was arrested on the animal abuse charges when found later in Texas close to the border with Mexico. Cope was later given a four-year jail sentence.
