A fraudster feigned a heart attack as an elaborate ploy to evade settling his bills.
A con man known as Adidas J., a Lithuanian residing in Spain, scammed 20 restaurants in the city of Alicante before finally facing jail.
During his ruse, Adidas would dramatically collapse onto the floor, clutching his chest in feigned distress. He even pretended to have symptoms requiring immediate medical attention, but his scheme was uncovered during a failed attempt at El Buen Comer.
According to the Spanish newspaper El Pais, another restaurant worker said: 'He lay down on the floor, acted as if his chest hurt, and began to shake.'
According to local police, Adidas wore 'designer attire' and assumed the persona of a Russian tourist who didn't speak Spanish.
The manager of El Buen Comer, one of the eateries the conman scammed, told The US Sun, 'It was very theatrical; he pretended to faint and slumped down on the floor.'
The manager also contacted other restaurants in the area to warn them and prevent the conman from 'striking again.
An additional restaurant owner, who fell prey to Adidas's trickery, recounted that he had ordered several glasses of expensive whiskey, a Russian salad, and a main course such as entrecote or lobster before he faked the heart attack.
Given that each unpaid bill amounted to a relatively minor sum, ranging from €15 to €70 (£13-£60), Adidas was charged with 'minor offenses.'
After rejecting two fines for his theatrics, the scammer was eventually incarcerated for a duration of 42 days.
His spree of deceit spanned two months, during which he faced multiple arrests but was released each time due to his relatively small outstanding debts at each restaurant.
In response, the duped restaurant owners are considering filing a joint complaint the conman locked away for longer.
