CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — A man claimed to be an officer with the Department of Homeland Security after he was confronted by a store employee while trying to shoplift.
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Back in January, James Beyan put on a pair of $180 sunglasses at a Sunglass Hut in Charlotte, North Carolina, and tried walking out, our sister station WSOC-TV 9 reported.
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When an employee stopped him, court records obtained by WSOC-TV 9 say he pulled out a “round medallion in his wallet” and told the worker he was “Homeland Security and he needed the glasses for work.”
Records show that Beyan isn’t a Homeland Security officer, but that he’s flashed a fake badge to avoid scrutiny for shoplifting more than once.
In March, Beyan returned and went to Banana Republic, where he got a men’s dress coat, pants, shirt, and socks, all valued at about $425, and he removed the price tags before walking out wearing them, WSOC-TV 9 reported.
When he was stopped, police say he once again flashed a badge-like object and said he was with Homeland Security.
He has also done the same thing with shoes from Johnston and Murphy, WSOC-TV 9 reported.
Jail records say Beyan has been arrested at least 11 times, charged with larceny, trespassing, and breaking and entering.
Beyan is currently being held on a $12,000 secured boned after failing to show up to court for charges of impersonating a law enforcement officer, WSOC-TV 9 reported.
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