Former Officer David Scudder Sold Fake Autographs

GREENSBURG, Ind.

A former police officer faces theft and official misconduct charges for allegedly pocketing money while investigating a scam that sold fake autographs of action film actor "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.

David L. Scudder, who was charged last week, resigned from the Greensburg police force on June 30 after the Indiana State Police began investigating his actions.

Prosecutors said Scudder, 37, seized money from a man who was acting as the "promoter" of a man who resembles Austin, a wrestler who's made the transition to films.

Those two men, who were selling what they said were Austin's autographs, had tricked about eight people to pay $10 for each of "the false and fraudulent autographs," according to an affidavit filed in Decatur County Circuit Court.

The affidavit states that on June 21, Scudder and Greensburg police Detective Mike Cruze arrived at a Wal-Mart in the city about 40 miles southeast of Indianapolis where the two men had been selling the bogus Austin autographs.

The "promoter" told the officers he had collected about $166 that day, but said that his cohort had already left with that money.

Despite that, Scudder asked the man to give him $166 of his own money and then gave the man a receipt -- a transaction captured on Wal-Mart surveillance video -- before announcing to those present, including Cruze, that he had seized the cash, the affidavit states.

Scudder's investigation report filed two days later made no mention of the money or the receipt being logged as evidence, according to the affidavit.

State Police were contacted after Scudder offered Cruze and other Greensburg police officials no explanation for the missing money.

His report, however, noted that the money "was returned to the fans at the scene."

But the affidavit said none of the victims had received any money from the officer.