Man accused of serial restaurant scamming

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-serial22.html

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa -- A man who police say took restaurant managers to the cleaners over fake dry cleanings has been arrested and authorities wonder how many times the alleged scam worked.

Michael Bagwell, who was using the alias Mark Laskowski, carried his dry-cleaning bill to seven suburban Des Moines restaurants earlier this month, police said.

Bagwell went into the Lone Star Steakhouse the first week of June and told the manager that his wife had been in the week before and that a waitress had spilled iced tea on her. He presented a dry cleaning bill for $25.90 and the restaurant's manager, Nicole Graham, apologized and paid the bill.

She became suspicious when Bagwell couldn't remember the ZIP code for his home address, so she watched out the window as he left and saw him go across the road to Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que, where he asked the manager to pay the bill.

[Kingshakabobo]

1. That's an oldie but a goodie.

This scam is usually done by mail so the scammer can hit more restaurants.