THOMASVILLE — A man who told a super market manager he was a beer bandit when confronted about shoplifting a large quantity of brew is behind bars.

Police identified the suspect as Charles Russell Presley, 51, 15211 U.S. 19 South.

In early February, a Publix assistant manager contacted police about a man with 10 cases of Michelob Ultra taken from the store beer cooler. The male was the same person Publix photos showed walking out of the store with seven cases of Michelob Ultra on Jan. 5.

When the manager confronted the man about the latter beer haul, he attempted to shake her hand and said, “Congratulations. You just caught the Invisible Beer Bandit,” according to a Thomasville Police Department incident report. The beer bandit left the beer behind.

On Feb. 12, a TPD detective received a description of a man shoplifting at Walmart. The person was identified as Presley, who was arrested the same day. The detective identified Presley as the suspected Publix beer burglar.

Presley is charged with five counts of misdemeanor shoplifting. He remains in jail in lieu of a $5,276 bond. 

Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1820