Anonymous candy thief apologizes — decades later

Frank and Pat Bonvarlez, previous owners of a Chatham-Kent, Ont. general store, recently received a typewritten apology from a penny-candy thief.

It read:

"Mr. & Mrs. Bonvarlez. Years ago I stole a penny-candy from your store. I have never forgotten how wrong it was or how bad I felt afterwards. I’m sure the money was more important then than now, but I am sending this money more to make amends. Thank you."

Included with the letter were two $20 bills. The Bonvarlez’s plan to donate the money to charity.

Frank Bonvarlez told the Toronto Sun that he wants the sender to know that he and his wife are “proud of the honest person” he or she has become.

They decided to go public with the letter to let others know that it’s never too late to do the right thing.

Last month, a Nebraska KFC received an apology note and $2 — to cover the cost of a stolen piece of chicken.

In 2013, a thief returned stolen wedding rings with an apology — 15 years after the crime.

And in 2012, a remorseful thief in Guelph, Ontario, returned a family’s stolen items with $50 to cover the damage done to their screen door during the break-in.

"Dear Family, I have wronged. I’m the one who committed the serious crimes against your family and I want to apologize from the bottom of my heart," read the accompanying apology letter.

"It was nothing personal and I didn’t go through any of your personal belongings. I have been having a very hard time financially lately and I made the worst mistake of my life. I would also commit to at least 15 hours of community service to partially help atone for what I have done."