 At the age of 17, he decided to enter military service early, joining the parachutists' troops; however, his fellow soldiers disdained him for his race and homosexuality.On 14 November 1982, he robbed an old woman in her grocery, menacing her with a knife; the grocer knew him as a customer, however, and he was soon arrested.In June 1983, he was sentenced to two years in prison, but the sentence was suspended ("avec sursis"), allowing Paulin to remain free.