When you consider America’s most generous hearts, who comes to mind?
Perhaps Bill Gates, the billionaire who committed to give away his fortune. Or maybe Florida’s Eddie Maltsby Jr., the blind street musician who plays for money and then donates it to the needy.
Add another name to that list: William Powell, a waiter at a New York City IHOP arrested for giving away more than $3,000 in free drinks to customers, DNA Info reported.
“I am the modern day Robin Hood,” Powell said, according to a criminal complaint. “I am not stealing. I am serving the ones in need. I take from the rich and give to the poor.”
It remained unclear whether Powell considered IHOP, the chain of family casual restaurants, to be the modern-day version of King John.
Powell, 27, was arrested on March 2 and charged with multiple counts of grand larceny, petit larceny and stolen property for giving away untold amounts of soda, coffee and tea to customers at the pancake chain’s downtown Brooklyn restaurant.
The IHOP’s owner, Akrell Cox, told police he noticed Powell’s beverages totaled 6% of his overall sales compared to other employees who saw 17-20% in beverage sales working the same shift and schedule.
Surveillance footage from the restaurant showed Powell was serving “a typical amount of beverages to several tables of patrons,” according to Gothamist.
That’s when Cox knew something was amiss, later telling police the uncharged beverages totaled more than $3,000.
As for Powell, he – like the famed Robin Hood of old – showed no remorse for his brand of outlaw justice.
“What’s the big deal? I’ve been doing this since I started here,” Powell said, according to the report.
His next court appearance is May 11.
