An Oregon father is accused of stealing $740 worth of his daughter’s Girl Scout cookie money and them blaming it on a burglar to cover up his crime.
Brian Couture, 40, sent police off on a wild goose chase after he called 911 to report that the money went missing during a home invasion on Mar. 9.
Couture reported that an individual had broken into his house and an altercation ensued, ultimately ending with the perp fleeing the scene. Police dispatched a K-9 unit during the hunt for the suspect, Complex reports.
A local resident told KGW8, “There were cops from all over, dogs, the forensic team, they had crime tape up everywhere,” the resident said.
However, investigators found no evidence of a home invasion and Couture was arrested after admitting to plotting the elaborate scheme to cover up the missing money.
In a statement, authorities said he “admitted to Forest Grove Police investigators that the alleged incident was staged,” and that he did so to “conceal the theft of money belonging to a non-profit organization, that was spent inappropriately.”
Couture is being charged with falsifying a police report and theft.
A spokeswoman for the Girl Scouts confirmed $740 in missing cookie sales from Couture’s daughter, ABC 7 Chicago reports.
They are working on a repayment plan.
