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PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. -- A Pleasantville gas station employee who told police he was the victim of an armed robbery is now being accused by police of lying about the incident and taking the money himself.
Wasim Ali, 59, of Pleasantville, was charged with third-degree falsely reporting an incident and fourth-degree larceny, both misdemeanors.
Ali told police Wednesday that two men entered the Century Gas Station on Pleasantville Road at around 6:30 a.m. demanding money, threatening him and pushing him back with a knife. He said the men fled with $1,380, the weekend's total receipts.
Ali repeated the story when interviewed by a reporter for The Daily Voice, giving a description of the alleged perpetrators and describing the men's escape in a dark Sedan that headed west on Bedford Road.
By late Wednesday, the Pleasantville Detective Division investigated Ali's claims and determined the entire incident was fabricated, police said.
Ali was originally scheduled to appear before Village Justice John J. Curley Wednesday for arraignment, but the police issued him an appearance ticket to return in two weeks instead, according to the Pleasantville Justice Court.
The court said authorities were waiting to arraign Ali but could not access his criminal record. The police released Ali and he is scheduled to return for arraignment on Sept. 18 for the same charges.
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