Man Who Said He Was Robbed In Franklin Wasn't Robbed And Wasn't In Franklin: Police

FRANKLIN, TN — A robbery that didn't happen definitely didn't happen in Franklin, according to Franklin Police.

Twenty-two-year-old Steven McCanless of Columbia claimed he was robbed on January 26 in a parking lot on Peytonsville Road. He told officers that he was robbed of his wallet and a gun by a someone he met there after responding to an online ad.

A joint investigation by Franklin and Brentwood police, however, determined that, in fact, McCanless was never in Franklin and that the meeting at which the robbery purportedly took place was actually in Brentwood and during that meeting, McCanless impersonated a police officer. Detectives said that McCanless made the robbery up, was never in Franklin and, needless to say, is not a police officer.

They believe this ruse was part of an effort to get back at the person who he said robbed him, but didn't rob him and definitely didn't do so in Franklin if the robbery occurred. Which it didn't, according to police.

McCanless is charged with two counts of filing a false report, criminal impersonation, and tampering with evidence. He is free on a $40,000 bond.

Image via Franklin Police