Case of the 100-lb stolen tortoise dismissed

NEWPORT — It took awhile, but the case of 100-pound stolen tortoise has finally been dismissed.
In 2010, Zachary Barbeau of Irasburg was charged with possession of stolen property, a misdemeanor. He was accused of taking the 2-foot-long African spur-thighed tortoise from its owner in Albany.
Police said the 20-year-old Barbeau brought the tortoise to a friend. He said he had worked on owner Peter Lowry’s property, but denied stealing it. He said he didn’t feel Lowry cared for the tortoise properly.
The Caledonian-Record reports (http://bit.ly/TGDg3j) the tortoise was returned to Lowry unharmed. Barbeau was to complete a local community justice program, but for some reason, he didn’t.
A judge recently agreed to dismiss the case, saying the court system doesn’t have the luxury of entertaining minor cases indefinitely.