‘Bogus Beggar’ arrested in Johnson County
By Lilly Adkins
BSN Associate Editor
PAINTSVILLE — A Louisville man known as the “Bogus Beggar” was arrested Saturday evening in Johnson County and transported to the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center.
Gary H. Thompson, 40, of Louisville, is charged with second-degree disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, third-degree criminal trespassing and soliciting unlawful compensation.
According to the arrest report, law enforcement received a call about a man sitting at a store asking people for money when they would enter and exit.
An officer had told Thompson earlier to leave the property and quit asking people for money. Thompson left the gas station and then showed back up, the report said.
The officer talked to two employees in the store, and they stated that Thompson approached a female and asked her if he could get her $50 bill she had.
Thompson had been outside of the store and was asking people for money, the report said. When the officer talked to Thompson, he acted like he was mentally handicapped, which told him he wasn’t and was just acting like that, the report said.
Thompson started yelling and screaming when he was placed under arrest, and when he stood up out of the wheelchair, the officer asked him to put his hands behind his back, the report said. When the officer reached for Thompson’s right hand to place handcuffs on him, he jerked away and said to stop, the report said.
Thompson was finally detained and placed in handcuffs, and then transported to the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center in Johnson County.
WYMT-TV said that there were reports of the Bogus Beggar being seen in the Pikeville area last week and that Pikeville police said they had received complaints on him. and When they talked to him, they believed him to be the Bogus Beggar.
WYMT also reported that its sister station, WAVE News in Louisville, had followed Thompson’s story for several years and said he was jailed and chased out of places all across Kentucky, earning the nickname the Bogus Beggar.