A Michigan mom of five has been charged with returning library books two years late — potentially facing up to 93 days in jail, according to a report.
“I really don’t think going to jail over those two books is OK,” Melinda Sanders-Jones told WILX. “I definitely didn’t wanna steal their property.”
Sanders-Jones told the station that she had no idea she even had the two overdue books until she tried to use a printer at Charlotte Library and told she was banned from using the services.
She fetched the books, “Where the Sidewalk Ends” and “Night,” and returned them to the library, expecting nothing more than some hefty late fees, she said.
Instead, the mom’s literary lateness may actually cost her her job. Her boss called to warn her that he found the warrant out for her arrest while doing background checks for impending promotion.
“I had to pull over because I started laughing,” Sanders-Jones told the station. “And he was like, ‘No, I’m serious.'”
She was charged with failure to return rental property, which carries a maximum penalty of 93 days in jail and a $500 fine, according to the station. She was fingerprinted and appeared in court — and is fighting to get the charge dropped by her next hearing this Thursday.