Bogus Banana Peel Lawsuit Proven Fraudulent

The D.C. local was caught faking the fall on tape ... after he looked up at the camera!

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This is what happens when you try to base a lawsuit on a cartoon stunt.

A man who sued the D.C. metro claiming that he slipped on a banana peel and injured himself has been charged with second-degree fraud. Maurice Owens claimed that he was riding in an elevator at the Potomac Avenue stop when he hurt his leg and hip after tripping on the peel.

But the whole incident was caught on tape — which Owens should have known considering the security footage shows him looking up at the camera at least three times, the Washington Post reports. As Owen exits the elevator, he can be seen tossing something on the floor behind him. The object was later identified as a banana peel, according to police. Owens then dramatically falls to the ground. After the Metro presented its footage to a D.C. Superior Court judge, Owens was arrested for fraud.

The Metro received about 225 claims per month, most seeking compensation for an injury in a station. Fewer than half of those claims reach settlements, and the average payout is less than $2,500 according to Metro representatives.

[WP]