I would say to John that he needs to get his act together and quit doing dumb stuff. He shouldn't have taken ten dollars form Mr. Pignati to start with. Also he needs to grow some maturity and realize he is about an adult and needs to stop goofing off too much. I would tell him that he has a bright future if he just tried hard and stayed focused.
       He has very good traits and is pretty smart, he just needs to push himself. Also to stay healthy and avoid accidents he needs to quit smoking and drinking. He is not going to get anywhere in life if he keeps this habit up. Also it's illegal and dangerous at the age he is at.
      John has potential I just don't think he knows that. I would make sure to tell him that he can be successful when he grows up. I don't know if he would listen to me but it would be worth a try. He is a sweet guy, but I don't think he cares or knows he can grow up and be something.