Idk if this belongs here but…
I'm in a bad place in my life right now ever since I got fired from my old job for theft last year in June 2021. I'm 28 (M) btw. The reason why I got fired is also why I got arrested as well. I pretty much made the attempt to steal $180 and tried replacing it with counterfeit money (The explanation for this is in the comments.) What I did was absolutely wrong and I still fucking hate myself dearly for it. I was thankfully approved to do ARD which basically will have me pay a fine of $1100, do 20 hours of community service, and stat out of trouble until October 21st of this year to get this Forgery charge expunged from my record.
The community service is the easy part, the fine however, is not. I'm literally trying to get a job to pay off the fees but I literally cannot land a job because of my fucking record. I literally had to quit my job at a warehouse I worked at for six months because the commute was eating 75% of my paychecks (I don't have a car so I have to use Lyft to get to where I need to go if said location isn't within walking distance.) Plus, that job was causing me so much stress to where I was not doing well mentally at all which burns me even more.
I have a job now but it pays much less than my previous job and gives me less hours (I work in a dollar store where my pay is $11 per hour and I only get 25 hours a week. My previous job gave me $15 per hour at 40 hours a week.) I'm freaking stressed and worried right now and I literally cannot afford to pay an $1100 fine. I'm applying to jobs closer to home as I mentioned previously and the most I can get is an interview. Heck, I'm even honest and upfront with interviewers about what I did which they have said they appreciate my honesty. It hasn't gotten me anything considering literally no one will hire me.
I had an interview at Boston Market which they said they'd hire me but I need to wait for them to send me an email (I had an interview with them in February and they said they'd send me an email afterwards as well). It's been two weeks since my second interview with them and almost three months since my first interview with them and I still haven't gotten an email from them. I called them multiple times and they said they'd send me an email but then they don't follow through at all. I'm about to tell them that I'm no longer interested in the position but my mom says I shouldn't do that but I've been calling and waiting but they will not get back to me and it's frustrating!
I know this is long, I doubt this will be seen, but I needed to get this off of my chest. I hate this so much! I hate what I did considering I lost the best job I actually had. This shit also doesn't help that I'm a black man and my case got thrown up on my state county's crime watch site. It really feels like the system is working against me rather than with me to get my record expunged! I don't blame it at all, this shit was completely my fault and I never should have made such an awful decision in the first place! I literally lost some friends over what I did when I turned to them for support as well. My bf of four years was upset with me at first but stayed with me when I saw that I was taking responsibility for my actions in the long run. Bottom line here, I'm just scared and worried that I won't be able to pay off my fine before October and then, I'll end up in jail.
If you read this, thank you for listening to me, it means a lot!