Man falsely reported gunman at business to get out of work, police say

MUNDELEIN, Ill. — Police on Monday arrested an Illinois man accused of falsely reporting a gunman at his job because he wanted to get out of work early, according to multiple reports.

Officers on Monday arrested Antonio Fletcher, 37, on a charge of disorderly conduct -- filing a false police report, Mundelein police said in a statement.

Authorities said they were called to Ruprecht Co., a meat processing company in Mundelein, around 1:15 p.m. Monday by a man who claimed a person in the building was armed with a gun and threatening employees. Dispatchers tried to get more information from the caller, but he said his phone battery was dying and disconnected the call, according to police.

Authorities from several agencies responded to the call, shutting down nearby streets for two hours as police searched the facility, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Employees at Ruprecht Co. said they were unaware of any threat when they were contacted by police, but as a precaution officers evacuated the building and conducted a search for the reported gunman, authorities said.

No gunman was found, and police later allowed employees to return to the facility.

Mundelein police Chief Eric Guenther told the Tribune officers later identified Fletcher as the person who made the initial report to police. He said Fletcher was trying to create a "distraction" that would allow him to slip out of work without anyone noticing.

The chief told the Tribune that Fletcher "indicated to investigators that he had been working at the business since 6 a.m. and didn't want to be there anymore."

Disorderly conduct is a class 4 felony in Illinois. If Fletcher is convicted, he could face a sentence of up to three years imprisonment.

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