Man claiming robbery arrested for false reporting

Loren Carl Mack, 48, was arrested Thursday after police say his reports of being robbed at gunpoint were false, Bloomington Police Department Lt. Steve Kellams said.

Mack has been arrested and preliminarily charged with fraud as a financial institution, false reporting and check deception.

Mack originally reported that a known male acquaintance forced him to sign over two checks at gunpoint. The original suspect, when located by police, indicated the money was given to him as a loan, and that no firearms were present in the process, Kellams said.

The check given to the original suspect was linked to an account Mack had recently closed, Kellams said.

Police said Mack had been making inconsistent statements throughout the entire process, including allegedly being struck in the face with a pistol but having no physical marks on his face during the report.

Police met with the original suspect to conclude through text messages and a third party Mack failed to mention was present that Mack's stories did not add up, Kellams said.

– Jeff LaFave