Inmate Regrets Asking Judge for Longer Sentence to Match Larry Bird’s Jersey Number
An Oklahoma inmate is having second thoughts about his sentencing request in 2005.
Eric Torpy was going to be sentenced to 30 years in prison for an armed robbery of a pizza restaurant in which an accomplice shot two employees. Torpy told the judge he wanted three more years so his 33-year sentence would match Larry Bird’s jersey, the Boston Globe reports. The prosecutor and the judge were happy to oblige.
Now, Torpy tells the Globe, “I’ve wisened up. That three is a big deal, you know? Three years matters.”
Torpy, who turns 33 this year, won’t be eligible for parole until 2033. He still follows the Celtics, and he plays basketball in the prison recreation area.
He does see one benefit to his request for a longer sentence. Other inmates think he’s crazy, Torpy told the Globe, so nobody messes with him.
