# Crimes of the Big Bang Theory characters **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [August 6, 2019, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crimes-of-the-big-bang-theory-characters/838234 "2019-08-06T13:39:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2019, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crimes-of-the-big-bang-theory-characters/838234/1 "2019-08-06T13:39:44Z")
What could the BBT characters be charged with (I’ll allow the crimes that they might be acquitted of - as long as they could be reasonably arrested and charged, it counts). Off the top of my head 1. Sheldon - adulteration of food (putting bug parts in Leonard’s food - possibly acquitted because of lack of intent to harm) 2. Penny - battery and trespass (beat up the guy who stole Sheldon’s stuff) 3. Howard - destruction of government property, stalking 4. Leonard - destruction of property (one elevator) 5. Raj - public drunkeness, maybe? ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2019, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crimes-of-the-big-bang-theory-characters/838234/2 "2019-08-06T13:43:43Z")
Sheldon, Leonard, Raj & Howard - Trespassing & Theft (Went into movie house’s office and stole the film “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”). Could also be considered starting a riot. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2019, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crimes-of-the-big-bang-theory-characters/838234/3 "2019-08-06T13:44:30Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Sheldon, Leonard, Raj & Howard - Trespassing & Theft (Went into movie house’s office and stole the file “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”). Could also be considered starting a riot. Good one! ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2019, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crimes-of-the-big-bang-theory-characters/838234/4 "2019-08-06T13:49:48Z")
Leonard - espionage; was going to share info with Joyce Kim, which Sheldon inadvertently prevented. Leonard and Raj - solicitation; hired a prostitute for Howard in Las Vegas Leonard and Sheldon - breaking and entering; they went into Penny’s apartment without permission to clean while she was asleep. Sheldon - destruction of property; the Kripke lab prank. Almost everyone - multiple instances of unauthorized access of government property for personal use. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2019, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crimes-of-the-big-bang-theory-characters/838234/5 "2019-08-06T13:59:43Z")
Sheldon & Kripke both committed vandalism on each other’s offices, Kripke with helium and Sheldon with foam, which could also be considered assault. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2019, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crimes-of-the-big-bang-theory-characters/838234/6 "2019-08-06T14:00:22Z")
Pretty sure Howard’s got a couple sexual assaults under his belt, too. At least one attempt that ended up with a bloodied nose (Penny, natch) that I can remember. Pretty sure he actually got his hands and/or lips on at least one someone either seen or discussed, but details are not coming to mind. Also, that whole thing with the RC cars and cameras ended up in creepshot territory, but…it’s _probably_ unfair to blame Howard for _most_ of that. I think throwing out other people’s property without their permission (barring a hoarding situation) is petty theft, so Penny’s guilty of that at least twice. (Ex she was angry at, Leonard.) Pretty sure the boys have committed fraud at least a couple times, but the only example coming to mind (falsifying the data when they were at the North Pole to get Sheldon off their back) is only an ethical issue, not a legal one. Sheldon, of course, had a whole episode of fighting against traffic tickets that he felt were unfair. (Although they totally were.) ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2019, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crimes-of-the-big-bang-theory-characters/838234/7 "2019-08-06T14:02:26Z")
Oh, yes. Amy broke Penny’s nose during a fight with Bernie - assault (the fact that she was trying to hit Bernie doesn’t help). Bernie - various biohazard rules were apparently broken (some verging on bioterrorism). ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2019, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crimes-of-the-big-bang-theory-characters/838234/8 "2019-08-06T15:12:29Z")
It’s heavily implied that Stuart committed both arson and insurance fraud in burning down his comic book store. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2019, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crimes-of-the-big-bang-theory-characters/838234/9 "2019-08-06T15:33:11Z")
They’ve all committed fornication, and twice Sheldon has cross dressed (a French maid and Wonder Woman). They are definitely guilty of corrupting a minor, turning Dennis Kim from a promising 15 year old college student into a hound dog. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2019, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crimes-of-the-big-bang-theory-characters/838234/10 "2019-08-06T16:23:30Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > They’ve all committed fornication… If fornication is a crime, even Sheldon’s mother is guilty. And didn’t Penny, Bernadette and Amy steal clothing from the clothing donation bin? And Sheldon destroyed Leonard’s transporter toy, then lied about it. And what about all that liquid helium that Leonard and Sheldon bought… then didn’t buy… then bought… then didn’t buy. And Sheldon was actually tased for trespassing onto Skywalker Ranch. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2019, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crimes-of-the-big-bang-theory-characters/838234/11 "2019-08-06T16:33:19Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > And Sheldon destroyed Leonard’s transporter toy, then lied about it. I may be mis-remembering, but I think Sheldon destroyed _his_ transporter toy, then tried to swap his with Leonard’s. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2019, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crimes-of-the-big-bang-theory-characters/838234/12 "2019-08-06T16:35:39Z")
Is it a crime to burn up a van belonging to Richard Feynman? ETA: Speaking of vans, Leonard, Raj & Howard get stoned on the cookies given to them by the two fifty-ish ladies VW Microbus and wearing tie-dye Grateful Dead t-shirts. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2019, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crimes-of-the-big-bang-theory-characters/838234/13 "2019-08-06T16:43:12Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > I may be mis-remembering, but I think Sheldon destroyed _his_ transporter toy, then tried to swap his with Leonard’s. Right, but swapping his broken toy with Leonard’s unbroken one would constitute a crime. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/22080_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2019, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crimes-of-the-big-bang-theory-characters/838234/14 "2019-08-06T16:52:21Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > It’s heavily implied that Stuart committed both arson and insurance fraud in burning down his comic book store. I always assumed that the others suspected him of arson, but that this was just another unfortunate event in Stuart’s pathetic life. He may have been seriously depressed but I never got the impression that he would resort to crime. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2019, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crimes-of-the-big-bang-theory-characters/838234/15 "2019-08-06T16:56:43Z")
If Howard had contested his mother’s will, any semi-competent attorney could make a case for Stuart using undue influences to get Debbie Wolowitz to leave her estate to him. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2019, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crimes-of-the-big-bang-theory-characters/838234/16 "2019-08-06T17:00:02Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > 1. Leonard - destruction of property (one elevator) It was actually Sheldon who took the rocket fuel from Leonard and put it down in the elevator, pushed Leonard out and pressed the button (thus saving Leonard’s life, BTW). Leonard just made it without taking into consideration the size factor. Howard did a lot of bad stuff with government property. He got a rover stuck on Mars and then erased a bunch of data. He took over government drones to track down women on a TV show. He took home a robotic hand for “personal” used. And on and on. Sheldon roamed the cafeteria at night, possibly taking things and scaring the cleanup crew. But the dumping of the foam in Kripke’s lab has to rank as his worst crime. The damage would have been very costly. Bernadette admitted to crossing EBola with the common cold and then losing the sample. Sheldon and James Earl Jones played a prank on Carrie Fisher. Apparently JEJ was violating a restraining order. So Sheldon was abetting. Sheldon ran a red light due to Penny not having adhesive ducks. There were several mentions of incidents in Sheldon’s childhood that crossed some lines. E.g., trying to buy yellow cake uranium. Putting Snowball into a homemade CAT scanner and setting it on fire would constitute animal abuse. Penny regularly admitted to spitting on certain people’s food at the Cheesecake Factory. People drove drunk from time to time. E.g., Penny with Leonard’s mother after hitting the bar at the CF. Penny destroyed a guy’s iPod. Then Raj finds a broken iPod and says he’s going to sell it on eBay with a false description. (Not the same iPod. Different colors. Odd that.) ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2019, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crimes-of-the-big-bang-theory-characters/838234/17 "2019-08-06T17:02:10Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > I always assumed that the others suspected him of arson, but that this was just another unfortunate event in Stuart’s pathetic life. He may have been seriously depressed but I never got the impression that he would resort to crime. At the rate they rerun this show, I’ll see that episode again within the next few days and can say with greater authority what’s causing me to remember it the way I did. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2019, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crimes-of-the-big-bang-theory-characters/838234/18 "2019-08-06T17:10:09Z")
Sheldon staying overnight at the university is a crime, violating property codes. Taking clothes from outside drop off boxes is a very gray area of law, but breaking into them is illegal. And despicable. Sheldon broke into Howard’s car, which was in his parking spot. While Penny mentioned spitting on people’s food, doing so would have had her fired on the spot. I think it was just another one of those teasing Sheldon moments. Carrie Fisher’s “That’s not funny, James” still ranks as one of my favorite Big Bang lines. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2019, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crimes-of-the-big-bang-theory-characters/838234/19 "2019-08-06T17:11:04Z")
Sheldon’s sister assaulted him in his groin area, repeating a pattern she established in childhood. And that doctor locked the guys into his basement while they were playing with his “toys”. Sheldon violated Howard’s parking space, claiming it was still his. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2019, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crimes-of-the-big-bang-theory-characters/838234/20 "2019-08-06T17:12:33Z")
Didn’t they use a laser to blow up the moon once? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crimes-of-the-big-bang-theory-characters/838234.md?page=2)