PORT CHARLOTTE — Charlotte County Sheriff’s detectives arrested two McDonald’s employees for filing a fake armed robbery of $8,000 in night deposits at a Port Charlotte bank. Arrested for grand theft and false report of a crime were Geraldo Francisco Laboriel, 21, and Kenny B. Adams, 23, both of the 2300 block of Catherine Avenue, Port Charlotte. CCSO received the armed robbery call Wednesday at 6:25 p.m. and deputies responded to Florida Community Bank, 1255 Tamiami Trail, and met with Laboriel and Adams. Both reported being victims of an armed robbery by an unknown black male wearing a hoodie to conceal his identity. Laboriel, a shift manager at McDonald’s, 24133 Peachland Boulevard, and Adams, an employee, told detectives that Adams, who was not working Wednesday, picked up Laboriel at the end of his shift and took the deposit bag to the bank.

Adams said he stayed in the car while Laboriel walked to the night deposit box. Laboriel said an unknown man came up behind him and took the bag with force, snatching it from his hand. The robber, they said, ran toward S.R. 776 toward the Emerald City Club and they called CCSO. Both men were taken to a district office in Port Charlotte for questioning due to inconsistent statements from each of them. After further questioning, detectives said they told them they planned and staged the robbery to keep the deposit money. Laboriel and Adams were arrested and transported to the Charlotte County Jail at 4 a.m. today, where they remain on $3,500 bond each.