Police: Man used key card found on golf course to get free meals at Breakers in Palm Beach
A Connecticut man faces charges of defrauding an innkeeper after Palm Beach Police say he used someone else's key card to charge more than $2,000 in food and drinks at The Breakers Palm Beach resort.
The 59-year-old man also faces a charge of giving a false name to a law enforcement officer during the incident, as he reportedly pretended to be the Breakers guest who had held the key card.
Breakers security notified Palm Beach police about 10:30 p.m. Feb. 28 that there was an older man who may have made several fraudulent purchases on the property that day, according to an arrest report.
The man, who dined alone, had eaten at two restaurants at the resort, racking up bills at The Italian Restaurant and HMF, the arrest report said.
He first dined at The Italian Restaurant about 5:30 p.m., paying for his dinner and drinks using a key card registered to a guest with the initials G.C., who Breakers security said had stayed at the resort from Feb. 24-26, according to the arrest report. The total cost of the meal at The Italian Restaurant was $410.25, police said.
The Breakers website describes The Italian Restaurant as a casual dining option that is popular with visitors. Its menu includes veal milanese, chicken marsala and snapper piccata, along with a wine list with prices per bottle ranging from $40 to $1,380.
The man also dined at HMF, another of The Breakers' restaurants. He ordered food and drinks worth $1,376.46, police said. After he finished his meal, a server took the man to the bar, where he ordered one drink that cost $385.20, the arrest report said. HMF's menu features several high-end liquors, including a Nishide Shuzo 100-Year Sake by Junmai Daiginjo, which is $400 per 720 milliliters, according to The Breakers' website.
HMF is named for The Breakers' founder, Henry Morrison Flagler, considered a Florida pioneer. The restaurant is in the resort's historic Florentine Room, and it offers "an eclectic, globally influenced menu," according to The Breakers' website.
An HMF bartender told police that the man paid with the key card for G.C.
When officers talked with the man, they noted that his breath smelled of "an unknown alcoholic beverage." He told police that he was staying at The Breakers with a friend then told police that he was G.C. According to the arrest report, he wrote down the full name of G.C. on a piece of paper and handed it to officers.
After an officer read the man his Miranda rights — the list of rights read to someone when they are arrested — the man gave police his real name and date of birth. He said G.C. was the friend with whom he stayed at The Breakers, police said, noting that the man confirmed he used "my friend's room key card" to order and pay for food and drinks. When police talked with the man, he still had the key card.
The man eventually told police that he found the key card for G.C. on the ground at The Breakers' golf course on Feb. 27 and that he didn't know if there was money on the card, the arrest report said. It's unclear why he was in Palm Beach and why he was on Breakers property.
The man said he had $2 and no way to pay the bills at HMF, police said. The man also told police that he did not have permission from G.C. to use the key card, and that he did not know G.C.
The man was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail on a $4,000 bail, where he remained Wednesday morning, according to jail records.
Kristina Webb is a reporter for Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at kwebb@pbdailynews.com. Subscribe today to support our journalism.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Police: Man fraudulently charged pricey meals at Breakers Palm Beach
