A 65-year-old homeless man with 44 prior convictions faces new charges for allegedly stealing cash from a woman's purse at Resorts Atlantic City casino.

Michael Taylor was identified through surveillance footage stealing an envelope of cash from a woman's purse while she played slots. The theft occurred just hours after Taylor appeared in court for a separate theft charge from November 3.

Of Taylor's 44 previous convictions, 36 were for theft. He had recently completed a three-year prison sentence in July for 12 theft cases before these new incidents.

During the court hearing, Deputy Attorney General Nicole Wise argued for Taylor's incarceration to protect the public, while public defender John Bjorklund pointed to underlying social issues affecting homeless individuals.

Judge Jeffrey Wilson expressed concern over Taylor's "continuing unabated disregard for our laws" and emphasized that casino visitors should feel secure from theft. Taylor remains in custody at the Atlantic County Justice Facility.

Notably, Taylor revealed he had previously requested to be placed on the state's casino exclusion list to prevent his pattern of casino-related crimes, but this never occurred.

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