A local man faces a charge of filing a false report after police say he attempted to pass off a handwritten note as an official police report at a local pharmacy.
Officers of the Elizabethton Police Department arrested Larry Trivette, 38, of 1344 Broad St., Elizabethton, on Saturday afternoon and charged him with filing a false report.
Shortly before 3 p.m. on Saturday, EPD Officer Dustin Johnson and EPD Sgt. Patrick White responded to Burgie Drug Store, located at 1000 W. G St., after employees called 911 to report a man was attempting to pass a false police report at the pharmacy.
When Johnson arrived on the scene, he spoke with employees Deborah Stewart and Hannah Brumitt.
“Ms. Brumitt stated a male subject, identified as Larry Trivette, came in the store and gave her a hand written document he advised was a police report for stolen medication,” Johnson said. “Ms. Brumitt stated Mr. Trivette advised the report was completed and written by M. Bean from the Carter County Sheriff’s Department.”
Johnson said he then spoke with Trivette, who told the officers he had spoken with Lt. Bean with the Sheriff’s Office earlier in the day and made a report of medication being stolen from his vehicle.
“Mr. Trivette then advised Lt. Bean hand wrote a police report that had the information from the incident and stated the original copy of the report would be available Tuesday,” Johnson said.
Johnson obtained the document from Burgie employees and said the note included Trivette’s name, vehicle information, driver’s license number, Lt. Michael Bean’s name listed as M. Bean, and a list of items stolen. Johnson also noted the words “original copy will be avail. Tues 31st 2016” were written at the bottom of the paper.
“Lt. Bean then responded to Burgie and confirmed the hand written document was forged by Mr. Trivette,” Johnson said. “Mr. Trivette was then confronted about the forged report and stated ‘it was a misunderstanding.’ Mr. Trivette then admitted he hand wrote the report.”
“Lt. Bean stated when he spoke with Mr. Trivette earlier this date he advised him he would complete a report on the stolen CD player, but he couldn’t list the specific medication in the report that Mr. Trivette was claiming was stolen,” Johnson added.
Johnson noted when Trivette wrote the officer’s name on the false report he listed it as “M. Bean,” which is how Lt. Bean’s name appears on his uniform name tag.
Trivette was taken to the Carter County Detention Center where he was later released after posting bond.