David Proudfoot, 44, of Kissimmee, Florida remains in custody on a charge of grand theft and obstruction of information, after he was accused of an R2-D2 droid worth up to $10,000.
Proudfoot also tried to posed as a Disney cast member because he wanted to show the weaknesses in Disney World’s security so he could get a better paying job, sheriff’s deputies say.
According to a probable cause affidavit, deputies with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office on May 31 responded to the Swan and Dolphin Hotel after Walt Disney World security called them in reference to a possible grand theft. Proudfoot allegedly caught the attention of the hotel’s security team when they noticed him pushing a large cart away from the Swan hotel and appearing “confused.”
Upon arriving at the scene, deputies met with security guards who were holding Proudfoot, who was wearing a “Walt Disney World issued name tag with ‘David’ inscribed” on it. The man allegedly identified himself as “David E. Rodgers” and provided a birthdate and address. He allegedly said part of his job was “to move items from one location to another,” and that his supervisor’s name was James McDaniels.
Investigators quickly learned that there was no record of a “David E. Rodgers” and said James McDaniels worked for the company, but in Burbank, California, not at the Orlando resort.
Proudfoot later admitted to moving an R2-D2 droid from the third floor of the Swan Hotel and a game machine because he had an application for Walt Disney World Security pending and was moving the items to “show weaknesses in the security of the resorts” in the hopes of getting the job. He allegedly claimed to have “no intent” to take the items off of the property.
Although, after his arrest, Proudfoot was linked to multiple other theft reports from weeks earlier at around Disney hotels. On May 16, management at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Lodge reported several items stolen from the gym area and two restrooms on the property, according to the television station. The missing items included custom Disney World lighting fixtures and a custom towel cabinet valued at more than $6,000 total.
Proudfoot is currently being held at the Orange County Jail on $9,650 bond.