In a month of crazy metal stories, we have a new candidate for craziest story. Earlier this week, we reported former White Zombie drummer Phil Buerstatte died tragically of unknown causes.
Now we learn that somebody was impersonating him to get a free stint in rehab.
Loren Breckenridge (pictured above left) was arrested in Sausalito, California last year after attempting to pay with a fake check for a four-week stay in a rehab facility. Breckenridge claimed to be the former White Zombie drummer, and since Buerstatte had not been seen in quite a while, authorities had a problem confirming if he was lying or not.
But, with the announcement of Buerstatte's body being found, authorities had enough evidence that Breckenridge was lying as reported by The Marin Independent Journal:
“A man accused of booking himself into two Marin County rehabs under the name of a former White Zombie drummer was sentenced to jail Thursday for fraud and grand theft.
“Loren Dean Breckenridge III, 43, received a total sentence of three years and four months, but only the first 16 months are for jail time, said Deputy District Attorney Dorothy Chou Proudfoot.
“After that, Breckenridge will be placed under ‘mandatory supervision’ by the probation department, Proudfoot said. The split sentence is part of the state’s so-called “realignment plan” to reduce the prison population.”
What a weird and fucked up story.
[via MetalSucks]
