Man Accused of Disney Scheme Involving R2-D2 Statue

Authorities say David Proudfoot posed as Disney World worker, moved droid replica
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 1, 2022 8:20 AM CDT

According to authorities, David Proudfoot posed as a worker at Disney World and moved a $10,000 replica of R2-D2 from its place at a Disney resort. According to Proudfoot, he was just trying to do the park a favor. FOX 35 reports the 44-year-old Kissimmee resident was arrested on May 31 after deputies from the Orange County Sheriff's Office responded to a call at the Swan Reserve hotel, where Disney security officers say they spotted Proudfoot pushing a cart around the property and became suspicious. Proudfoot—who deputies say was wearing a Disney nametag with "David" inscribed on it—claimed he was an employee at another Disney hotel, the Yacht Club Resort.

However, when one of the officers offered to help him with the cart, Proudfoot seemed confused as to where the loading docks were, and so they called the police. When deputies arrived, they say Proudfoot first told them his name was David Rodgers and that he'd been tasked to move items from one Disney location to another. His story started to unravel when a deputy brought him to the Yacht Club Resort to get his belongings and he once more seemed confused and couldn't open his supposed employee locker. That's when the deputy says he noticed Proudfoot had a wallet on his person, which held an ID with his real name. He then admitted to moving the R2-D2 from the Swan hotel's third floor to an "unknown" location, as well as moving a game machine.

Proudfoot told authorities he had no plans to actually take the items off Disney property and that his motives had been good: He had an application pending for a security guard position with the park and so had wanted to "show weaknesses in the security of the resorts," according to an affidavit. But when police carried out a search warrant at his home, they say they found Disney items worth thousands of dollars, including a $700 gold necklace and several bathroom light fixtures, per Law & Crime. Proudfoot—IDed by WDW News Today as a former school principal once accused of stealing $15,000 from a Baltimore-area school system—is now facing charges of third-degree grand theft and obstruction by false information, among others. He's being held on $8,150 bond at the Orange County Jail. (More weird crimes stories.)

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