Couple charged with restaurant worm scam

SCHERERVILLE, Ind., March 6 (UPI) -- A couple was charged with scamming a free meal from an Indiana restaurant after the woman left her purse behind with a jar of worms inside.

Tiffany Vance of Merrillville and Christopher Egnatz of St. John were both charged with conversion, unauthorized assumption of ownership of personal property of others, the Gary Post-Tribune reported.

The couple were given a free $57 meal at an Applebee's in Schererville, Ind., after Vance pointed out the worms and then left. But a waitress looking for identification in her purse found a small container of bee moth caterpillars, which resemble maggots.

The restaurant called police instead of Vance. While an officer was taking a report, Egnatz showed up looking for the purse.

Egnatz told police the worm scam was Vance's idea and took the officer to their motel room. Vance claimed that Egnatz had dumped the worms while she was a bystander.