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Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com

Published - Saturday, July 05, 2008

Man accused of faking heart attacks to avoid bills

WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP) — A 52-year-old Milwaukee-area man is accused of repeatedly faking heart attacks to avoid paying restaurant bills and cab fares.

Police say Robert P. Farnam of Waukesha took a cab to a mall Monday and pretended to have a heart attack. The cab driver left unpaid.

Then, police say, Farnam ran up a $23 bill when he had a steak dinner at Applebee’s. Again he pretended to have a heart attack.

This time the fire department responded and took him to Wisconsin Heart Hospital. A doctor there recognized Farnam from his previous alleged attempts at the same stunt in the last few weeks.

Farnam was charged Thursday with defrauding a restaurant as a habitual criminal. The misdemeanor charge carries a maximum penalty of nine months in prison and a $10,000 fine.