Man arrested in torn pants fraud

IRVINE, Calif., July 23 (UPI) -- A California man known for a series of UFO sighting hoaxes has confessed to attempting to defraud a restaurant for the value of a pair of torn designer jeans.

Gaylon Linn Murphy received three years unsupervised probation and 30 days of community service after pleading guilty Monday to misdemeanor charges of attempted grand theft and attempted taking property from another, the Orange County Register reported Tuesday.

Murphy, 52, apologized for his actions, which began when he tore a hole in his Gucci jeans during a visit to a Home Depot store. He then attempted to claim the retail price of the jeans, valued at between $500 and $1,500, from both the building supply store and a local restaurant where he had dined. The double-dipping attempt was uncovered by an Irvine detective.

"It was wrong. It wasn't intentional, but it happened, and I paid for it," Murphy said. "I made a mistake, and I have to live with it for the rest of my life."