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Man held for not returning rental tape for 14 years

This article is more than 12 months old

A man in the US was arrested this week on charges that he failed to return a VHS tape to a video store 14 years ago, police said on Thursday.

James Meyers, 37, of the US state of North Carolina, was driving his daughter to school when he was stopped by the police for a broken brake light, according to a video that Meyers posted on YouTube on Tuesday.

Meyers said officers checked his driving licence and told him he had an outstanding arrest warrant for not returning a movie to J&J Video in Salisbury, North Carolina.

"The guy brings me to the back of the car and he goes: 'Sir, I don't know how to tell you this, but there's a warrant out for your arrest from 2002.

"Apparently you rented a movie, Freddy Got Fingered, and you never returned it'," Meyers said in the video, appearing dumbfounded.

CLOSED DOWN

The police department confirmed the arrest in a statement on Thursday, saying the warrant was issued on Feb 28, 2002, by the now-closed video store and signed by a magistrate.

The police said that instead of arresting Meyers at the scene, they allowed him to go to the police department later in the day to be served the warrant.

They then took Meyers in handcuffs to a magistrate's office.

He is scheduled to appear in court on April 27 on a misdemeanour charge of failure to return hired property, police said.

Comedian Tom Green, star of the 2001 movie that Meyers had rented, tweeted: "I just saw this and I am struggling to believe it is real." - Reuters

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