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Alleged Con Artist Scams Hospital

Dec. 19, 2023 8p

(WGTD)---It’s a crazy scheme that—by judging from the evidence—apparently worked, to a certain degree, at least up until this week in Mt. Pleasant.

A 52-year-old Missouri man purportedly walked into Aurora Hospital on Highway 20, claiming that he had hurt his calf earlier in the day and needed pain medicine, a boot and crutches. The man said he had left his ID and insurance card at a hotel.

Hospital workers placed the man’s leg in a boot and gave him a single pill. But doctors were unable write a full prescription based on the name the man had given.

He then slipped out the door, walked up to a Penske truck and drove off.

Mt. Pleasant police caught up to him.

According to a criminal complaint, the man—identified as Jeffrey McCown—had four identification cards with different names, all with his likeness. 

Deputies also noted that the truck was full of crutches and medical boots.

In Racine court Tuesday, McCown was charged with obtaining a controlled substance by fraud. A $500 signature bond was set.

According to the complaint, the man's record includes convictions for identity theft and passing bad checks. 

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