7.6.22 – Iheart Radio
A Florida man accused of stealing an expensive Star Wars replica offered cops a strange reason for the crime, according to WFLA.
The incident went down in the lobby of the Swan Reserve Hotel on May 31. Hotel security spotted 44-year-old David Proudfoot, of Kissimmee, pushing a cart containing an arcade machine and a replica of R2-D2, valued between $6,000 and $10,000, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies were called in to confront Proudfoot, who told cops he was a Disney employee looking for the locker rooms, an arrest report says. After Proudfoot led authorities to the locker room and failed to open a locker, officials asked the 44-year-old for his ID, which was different from the one he provided earlier. Cops later learned the suspect’s name wasn’t in employee records.
Proudfoot admitted he was stealing items to “show weaknesses in the security of the resorts” and get a job with Disney World security, according to the sheriff’s office. He’s also been linked to more thefts across Disney properties, officials noted. He reportedly confessed to breaking into three arcade machines at Grand Floridian Resort, Boardwalk Resort, and Wilderness Lodge.
A Disney World investigator identified $730 worth of company merchandise inside Proudfoot’s home, including a towel cabinet and custom light fixtures deputies report.
Now, the 44-year-old man is facing several charges, including grand theft, scheme to defraud, burglary of a structure, tampering with a coin-operated machine, and obstruction by false information. Reporters say he was booked into the Orange County jail.