Stoughton Gym Thief Admits Guilt, Gets Prison Time

A Fall River man will spend time in a house of corrections after admitting to stealing items at a local Stoughton gym.

John Root, 38, pleaded guilty to larceny over $250, breaking and entering a building in the daytime for a felony, credit card fraud over $250, and identity fraud, according to David Traub, a spokesman for the Norfolk County District Attorney’s office. Root was also charged with uttering a false document, but the charge was dropped as part of his plea.

Root will spend 4 1/2 years in prison as part of his guilty plea.

Last week, Root entered Elite Fitness in Stoughton, asked to fill out a membership form, walked down the hall to assumingly fill out the forms, and headed into the locker room to find an open locker.

Once he found an open locker, he took a pair of keys and took credit cards from the victim’s vehicle.

The cards were used at several pharmacies, according to police.

Root was wanted in several similar cases across Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Locally, he was charged in Norwood where he allegedly used stolen credit cards from a gym to buy items from a Target in Westwood.

Photo Credit: Norwood Police