A Mesa man who tried to escape prison by impersonating an inmate set for release.
Twenty-seven-year-old Gary Burnett was first arrested on Feb. 17 for trespassing, criminal damage and resisting arrest.
The next day Burnett was at an arraignment hearing at Mesa City Court when police say he tried to escape under someone else’s identity.
Court paperwork shows the clerk called out the name of another inmate who was scheduled for release that day. Burnett stepped forward and said that he was that person. He was given release paperwork, filled it out and even provided fingerprints for the paperwork.
Detention staff eventually realized Burnett wasn’t the person he was claiming to be, and he is now facing additional charges for identity theft and fraud.
