Hi,
I need some help in regards to some trouble I got into. In March of '06 I got arrested at a Burlington Coat Factory store. I am a Canadian citizen and I was 20 years old at the time. I made a really bad decision to try to steal a pair of jeans and I wasn't a very good "thief" because I left the alarm on the jeans. That was the first time I attempted to steal something and I regret ever making that decision.
I live in Windsor and I was at a store in Detroit when I got arrested. I ended up going to jail and I was released on $500 bail. That night I went back to Canada and then I got put on probation. I went to Detroit a couple more times after the incident and everything was fine, until one time when I was trying to cross the border and I got asked if I've ever been arrested. I said yes and then I got pulled over, had to check into Immigration where one of the Customs officers came and took me in the back. He took my finger prints, photos, my address, car information etc it felt like I got arrested all over again. He also informed me that I was not allowed to cross anymore until I get a wayver and if I do try to cross before I get a wayver I could get sent to jail for up to 5 years and they would take my car away.
My probation officer had told me that because I was under 21 my record would not be accessible by anybody other then the court house where I went to trial, however if customs asked I had to tell them that I had been arrested. I wasn't even allowed to cross the border to go to probation anymore, I had to complete it over the phone and I also had to complete a Shoplifter's Course which got marked and I got an A on.
I haven't applied for a waiver because it costs almost $400 US and I understand that I have to have it renewed every 4-5 years.
Is there anything I can do about this? This is the only thing I've ever gotten in trouble for with the law aside from some parking tikets. I am wondering if there is anything I could do to have my record destroyed?
I appreciate any feedback I could get on this matter.