Man Arrested For Phony Central Park Robbery Tale, Police Say

CENTRAL PARK, NY — A man is facing charges for lying to police about being robbed in Central Park, an NYPD spokesman told Patch.

Mohammad Shaukat, 22, told police that he was robbed just after midnight Tuesday while walking on West Drive near West 97th Street, an NYPD spokesman said. Shaukat claimed that two armed men approached him and stole more than $30,000 and camera equipment.

Turns out: it was all an elaborate tale.

Police determined that Shaukat, a resident of Midwood, Brooklyn, was lying to them and charged him with making a false written statement to police.

Police did not tell Patch how they figured out Shaukat was lying to them.

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