Man Fakes Own Mom's Obituary to Get Time Off from Work
A Pennsylvania man faked his mom's obituary in order to get paid time off work. Scott Bennett was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct over the incident.
All in all, it was a rather clever ploy in theory.
Think about it this way: how many people actually read physical newspapers these days? It seems more and more consumers turn to the web to catch up on the latest headlines.
Perhaps Bennett thought nobody would read the obituary at all. And, having one would be a convenient piece of evidence should his employer ever suspect otherwise.
There is only one flaw in this logic. While not many people read newspapers, all it takes is one person who knows the alleged deceased in order to completely ruin the plan.
And, that's exactly what happened. Relatives saw the obituary and called the newspaper since Bennett's mother was alive and well, reports the AP.
If Bennett wanted time off, maybe he would have been better off pretending he had a toothache as the Los Angeles Times suggested. Going to the dentist is task that is not only totally believable but ultimately requires a whole lot less work to "fake."
Bennett's charge of disorderly conduct is typically reserved as a "catch-all" to encompass a variety of minor crimes. Disturbing the peace, being drunk in public, or loitering can all be "disorderly conduct." And it appears that "faking an obituary" now also falls under this category.
Since it doesn't seem like Scott Bennett has a criminal history, most likely he won't be facing harsh penalties. Though as a man who faked his mom's obituary, Bennett may face some repercussions at home.
Related Resources:
- Time-off ploy that doesn't work: memorial ad for mom who's alive (Los Angeles Times)
- Disorderly Conduct (FindLaw)
- Fake Doctor, 81, Offered Door-to-Door Breast Exams (FindLaw's Legally Weird)
- Fake Apple Store has Fake iPads, iPhones: Even Staff is Fooled (FindLaw's Legally Weird)
