Police in California have arrested a man claiming to be White Zombie drummer Phil Buerstatte over multiple fraud offences – but can’t work out if he’s telling the truth about his identity.
The 46-year-old has been identified as Loren Breckenridge, but investigating officers are yet to ascertain whether he’s also Buerstatte using a pseudonym, or whether the Buerstatte title is actually a stage name.
Rob Zombie’s former band split in 1998. Buerstatte had been a member between 1992 and 1994.
Breckenridge is alleged to have tried to pay for a four-week stay in a rehab centre with a false $75,000 cheque. The alarm was raised after he left treatment a fortnight into his stay.
Sausalito police officers discovered that while they were investigating the alleged offence, Breckenridge was being held by Novato Police Department on a similar charge related to another rehab centre.
He was arrested on suspicion of passing fictitious cheques, identity theft and fraudulent use of account information. He has outstanding warrants in Florida and Minnesota, and a criminal record for a number of acts of fraud and theft.
Sausalito PD Sergeant Bill Fraass tells the Marin Independent Journal: “He would show up and tell people he was this rock star and needed treatment. In all my years of police work I have never seen a case like this – someone defrauding rehab centres.”
-Classic Rock Magazine
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