An Arizona man was arrested for faking his own kidnapping to get out of going to work. Appearing in court, Brandon Soules, 19, pleaded guilty for false reporting after police discovered he had fabricated an elaborate story in a desperate attempt to take time off from his job, People reported. He was ordered to pay a $550 fine and was fired from The Tire Factory in Coolidge.
Soules went to great lengths to fake his kidnapping. On Feb. 10, police received a call about a man — Soules — whose hands had been tied behind his back with a belt and had a bandana stuffed in his mouth, according to a police report. Soules told authorities that two masked men had grabbed him and hit him on his head, knocking him unconscious. He then claimed they drove him around the area in their vehicle before dumping him on a street in Coolidge.
Soules told police the kidnappers were after large sums of money which his father had hidden around town. This was also a fabrication.
Police launched an investigation into Soules' allegations but found nothing to back his story. They also sifted through surveillance video and found no evidence that he was abducted.
Soules was arrested on Feb. 17 and charged with false reporting.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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