Arizona Man Admits to Faking His Own Kidnapping to Avoid Going to Work

A 19-year-old Arizona man was arrested after staging his own kidnapping in a bid to avoid going to work, according to police.

Brandon Soules told authorities that two masked men had kidnapped him in front of his home. He said the kidnappers hit him on the head and knocked him unconscious, then drove around before they dumped him near a water tower near Coolidge, the Casa Grande Dispatch reported.

On Feb 10, Coolidge police responded to a call about a man in trouble at approximately 5:25 p.m. When they arrived, Soules had a banana stuffed in his mouth and his hands were tied up behind his back with a belt, according to the police statement.

Soules told police that he was kidnapped because his father had hidden large sums of money in the desert, The New York Times reported. After police did a thorough investigation that included interviewing people he mentioned, searching surveillance video, and reviewing text messages and phone calls that Soules described, police said they found that nothing matched his story. Authorities also said Soules had no concussion or injury to his head, according to a police report obtained by the Times. 

Detectives concluded that “his story was fabricated and no kidnapping or assault occurred,” the police said. They also determined that the account of hidden treasure was false, according to the Times.

On Feb. 17, Soules was arrested for false reporting and admitted to police that he made up the entire story to get out of work, the police statement said. On Feb. 18, Soules pleaded guilty at his sentencing hearing and was ordered to pay a $550 fine, People reported.

Soules worked at a car shop. His responsibilities included installing tires and locating auto parts to pick up for the store, the Times said.

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