Police arrested Robert Farnham for “habitual criminality” and “fraud on a restaurant” after his doctor reported him for faking heart attacks to avoid paying bills. The Wisconsin resident, who has been caught pulling the same routine five times this year, most recently keeled over in Applebees to avoid paying $22.66 for a “steak, salad, mashed potatoes, a soda, a strawberry smoothie and a brownie.”
A doctor at the hospital, William T. Kumprey, was tired of seeing Farnam.
Farnam had been to the hospital several times in the last month or so. He had used his fake heart attack routine at Silk — an exotic lounge — at several restaurants and while getting out of various cabs.
The doctor told Farnam he would call the police the next time he caught him faking the clutch of death to avoid paying his bills.
Farnam let it slip that he had, earlier that very day, after a hearty meal for which he did not pay, absconded to Froedtert Hospital.
The doctor called police.
The 52-year-old faces nine months in jail and a $10,000 fine if convicted.
Cardiac arrest: Man faked heart attack when dinner bill arrived [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
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I wonder if his insurance is looking into suing him, as they still were required to cover the hospital costs. I’m pretty sure my insurance covers all or most of the ambulance and hosptial coverage.
“steak, salad, mashed potatoes, a soda, a strawberry smoothie and a brownie”
If he keeps eating like that, he’ll have a real one before too long.
I am glad he is getting a fine. This jerk and people like him gives honest consumers a bad name and then makes business owners think we are all like that. Idiot.
The name of the hospital is real. It’s pronounced FRAY-dirt. It used to be plain old “County Hospital”, so that’s where the Medicaid patients end up. And I understand what the cab driver did-”dirty old guy having a heart-attack? I’m not sticking around for the ambulance, I’d lose an entire day’s worth of fares!” Screeee–vroooom!
I have no idea if this link will work, but this guy is a piece of work with a long criminal history.
[wcca.wicourts.gov]
And I half thought The Consumerist was going to applaud this behavior.
Can’t the doctor get in trouble for violating Patient Doctor confidentially? If the patient is a danger to self or others you can violate confidentially, but does skipping out on meals count?
I think this is so funny. Much better than the old classic standby “chew nd screw” to which I did in my youth. Probaboly as you get older you have to ‘flip the script’ since you arent mkoving as quickly. plus no accomplices….
Id set my sights higher than disgusting Applebees
Even worse, from the original article at: [www.jsonline.com] was this comment, “Farnam told police he had $350 at home but hadn’t taken any money with him that day. He wasn’t planning on needing it.”
This is just going to cause restaurants and taxi cabs to charge people even if they do have a legitimate health-related event. I mean, if I have a legitimate heart attack with a prostitute, I shouldn’t have to pay for her services, right? If Applebee’s makes me keel over and die, should my widow be responsible for my $35 tab?
So he’s whisked off to the hospital for his “heart attack” and the doctor who’s seen him so many times in the past doesn’t realize that he faked it again to get out of paying a bill, and it takes this guy being an idiot and saying “Oh yeah, I just skipped out on a bill” for the doctor to realize? Huh.
Normally I would not condon this but since it is Applebee’s, I’m OK with it. I hate Applebee’s. They bought my favorite restaurant, HOPS, and destroyed it, so screw them.
@nogas2speed: Ripping off someone is bad, except when it’s someone I don’t like?
@coren: The doctor gave him a warning that the next time he saw the faker he’d call the police (already knowing he’d done it repeatedly), and the idiot then blew his last chance by revealing he’d done it earlier that day. The only fault I really find with the doctor is giving the guy a warning
@Sargasm: Just to give him a little benefit of doubt, most of those on that page are money judgments for bills that were referred to the courts, though there are a couple simple assault and battery type cases in there too.
Am I the only one more surprised by how much food you can get at Applebee’s for $22 than by his behavior? I would like to see a menu item/price rundown.
He will soon find out you can’t fake a heart attack to get out of prison rape.
@stopxstart: Yeah, I instantly thought of the book ‘Choke’ by Chuck Palahniuk in which a guy fakes heart attacks, but in the book the guy was smarter- he wanted someone to save his life in the restaurant and to develop some sick Rapunzel complex where they would be so amazed that they saved his life that they would send him checks in the mail just to make sure he’s okay.
@pfeng: Well that’s what I’m saying – what did he THINK the guy was at the hospital for that time, constipation? He had to know he’d had another faked heart attack..
@QuantumRiff:
My guess is that he may be uninsured, and you and I are paying for all his $1000 + ambulance rides to the hospital, all his EKG tests or whatever other tests the doctors run on this loser. I would love to say send him to prison but that will just make him a better criminal and we will pay for that too. We need a new penal colony. Maybe Canada will sell us part of the NW Territory and we can make people like this guy dig for oil with plastic shovels.
@stopxstart: my thoughts exactly!
Wasn’t this restaurant-heart-attack faking the storyline in a Three’s Company episode?
So I guess in accordance with the Comments Code I can’t say something like “That’s why I never eat at Applebee’s; all the people faking heart attacks to get out of paying for their meal…”?
@homerjay: This would not pass muster under the new commenting rules. And thank goodness for that – having to wade through tons of these type of comments is frustrating.
How could ER fees possibly be less than dinner at Applebee’s?