In November Paris, Tennessee police were on the lookout for three men after the owner of the “Healthy Thyme” health food store said he was beaten and marked on the forehead with a gay slur days before Thanksgiving.
Joe Williams spoke with reporters after the incident.
This week the shop owner was arrested for faking the incident.
The Post-Inteligencer reported:
A man who told police he had been robbed and beaten at a Paris health food store a few days before Thanksgiving was arrested after he allegedly withheld information about the incident and has now been charged with filing a false report.
Joe Williams, 32, of 803 E. Wood St. was arrested Friday afternoon after turning himself in at the Henry County jail.
Williams originally told officers he had been beaten and robbed Nov. 20 at Healthy Thyme, which is at the same address as Williams’ home. There was also a fire, and Williams had a homosexual slur written on his forehead.
Officers later found inconsistencies in Williams’ story. Paris Police Sgt. Ricky Watson said Williams failed to bring up certain facts known to investigators on three different occasions.
“He was given three opportunities to disclose that information, and he chose not to,” Watson said.
That leaves investigators trying to determine how much of Williams’ story might have been true.
“We’ve not been able to verify or dispel any of the statements made about the actual robbery or fire,” Watson said. “We’re looking into Mister Williams, and we’re looking into whether it did or did not happen.”
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