Arizona man fakes kidnapping, gags and bounds himself to get out of work

After telling police he was abducted by two masked men, Brandon Soules later confessed that he made up the story to avoid working.

Biba Adams

Feb 24, 2021

Brandon Soules must have really wanted some time off from the tire store where he worked. Police in Coolidge, Arizona charged the 19-year-old man with false reporting to law enforcement after they discovered that he likely faked his own kidnapping.

Soules was found bound and gagged two weeks ago after officers responded to a call about an injured man. When they arrived, they found Soules with his hands behind his back bound by a belt and a purple bandanna stuffed in his mouth.

Police in Coolidge, Arizona charged Brandon Soules (above) with false reporting to law enforcement after they discovered that he likely faked his own kidnapping to get out of work. (Coolidge Police Department)

He told authorities that he was abducted by two masked men, who drove him around demanding that he tell them where his father buried a large amount of money in the desert. During their investigation, police uncovered no evidence of a kidnapping, discovering instead that Soules’ text messages and phone records did not match up with his story.

Soules later confessed that he made up the story to get out of work. He is now facing a misdemeanor, and it is unclear if he has an attorney. He’s made no statement on the incident.

Now, he’ll have plenty of time off. After this stunt, Soules has been fired from his job at the tire shop.

Residents of the small community of Coolidge, located about 40 miles outside Scottsdale, said the Soules scare caused a panic. “It cost taxpayers a lot of money to do all this stuff and look for whoever supposedly kidnapped the guy,” Clay Gullens said.

Others said they were relieved that there wasn’t a bigger criminal scheme at work. “It’s very important to know that,” one of them said, “because everyone’s gotta be safe.”

Another opined: “If you don’t like what you’re doing quit, find another job. You don’t go through all that trouble not to go to work.”

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