Well if the guy is a total piece of shit and not much good comes from the friendship, then I'd be having an intervention with your buddy above all else. Something about not letting a total piece of shit walk all over you for 20 years, yadda.
My point is, if you are close with someone for x years (17 in this case), and then they fuck up and do something bad to you, writing them off like that may be because you either A) think you never fuck up, even though you aren't a thief or B) are afraid of giving someone a chance to fix it and work to re-earn your trust because they might fuck you over again. Different if the person's been fucking you for years and you've LET them. The line is blurry and I'm in no way saying that ANYTHING can just be forgiven and moved on with. but lel at the hard-ass "fuck that" comment and the people here chest-puffing black&white "I'd do this and that"s.
Friends are replaceable, friends are temporary and friendship is optional.
I can't be friends with dishonorable people. An honorable man would've said - hey man I'm broke, you mind letting me have $40 bucks so I can buy some stuff... there is no shame in asking for help.
If you want to keep surrounding yourself with trash then don't complain when bad shit happens to you....
people that do others wrong without thinking about it too much only bring bad things upon themselves and those around them...
that's the guy that's going to steal from the wrong person and the next person taking that jar will be either whoever he stole from or worse the police when they show up at your house looking for him..... heed the warning my man... stay the hell away from that dude....
people like that aren't worth it....