JACKSONVILLE, Tex. — The feel-good story about a homeless man who lost, then recovered, his service dog has turned out to be a hoax.
Charles Lee Boothe, 54, described by local police as a "drifter-grifter" with multiple convictions in seven states, pulled off the deception in a recent interview with the Jacksonville Daily Progress, authorities said. They said he intended to receive money from sympathetic readers.
But the hoax was exposed when Boothe showed up drunk and muttering conspiracy theories at the paper late last week. Police were called and Boothe was jailed. Authorities said he had tried the same false story in Palestine, Tex.
"If he hadn't come back into our offices in the throes of a meltdown, we might not have ever known that something was wrong, very wrong, with his version of events," Daily Progress Editor Amy Brocato Pearson said. "I feel bad for all the people who tried to help him."
---
Details for this story were provided by the Jacksonville (Texas) Daily Progress.
Okla. City Mayor: Up to 13K Homes Hit by Tornado
Raw: Aftermath of Deadly Attack in London
Paperless Scanner, Vision of the Future
Florida FBI Shooting Has Boston Bombing Links
Garcetti Elected Los Angeles Mayor Over Greuel
Raw: New Video of Deadly Oklahoma Tornado
IRS Official Pleads 5th Amendment
Lawyer: Feds Investigating Susan Powell Case
Former Rep. Weiner Running for New York Mayor
Jodi Arias: Death Penalty Would Cause More Pain
Police Ram House to End Hostage Standoff
Families Begin Returning to Their Homes in Moore
Raw: Aerial View of Moore Tornado Damage
Looking for Love? Take the Prague Metro
First Person: Baby Falcons on a New York Bridge
Crews Race to Find Survivors of Okla. Twister
Oklahoma: Images of Devastation, Reunion
Raw: Students Clash With Police in Chile
Protests Outside Cincinnati IRS Office
New Xbox One Entertainment Console Unveiled
