Yesterday in Belmar Municipal Court, an innocent Jersey Shore town sought justice against a man who spent the summer bedding their women and eating their bagels, simply because he made them believe that he was Yankee phenom pitcher Joba Chamberlain. 30-year-old Ryan Ward has been charged with "theft by deception" after he swindled free food out of the Belmar Bagel Cafe last summer. Ward opened a newspaper to the sports section and pointed at "his picture," while asking female workers, "Do you know who I am?" He then autographed the newspaper, which owner Don Weston considered framing. (Ward has since returned to the cafe and paid for his free bagels and coffee).
But his reign of terror wasn't done there. A UPS driver reported Ward to police after having the lookalike autograph his electronic signature device and a losing lotto ticket. The driver learned the harsh truth after taking the signature to a sports memorabilia store and discovering it was a fake. Ward could face up to a year in prison for all of the charges. The police chief yesterday called him "a nut" and said, "We frown on people taking other people's identity."
Ward also claims to have hooked up with as many as 100 women along the Shore this summer under the guise that he was Joba. His lawyer Constantine Bardis yesterday seemed to think one of them turned Ward in as he told the court, "Picture waking up the next morning and realizing the guy you made love to last night was not Joba Chamberlain." He also said, "What's the crime in pretending to be someone? I'm Mel Gibson; want to have a drink?" The duo kicked their routine into high gear when the Bardis said Ward "goofed around cause he kind of looked like the guy" to which Ward corrected, "He looks like me."
Ward's doppelganger isn't having the best off-season himself, having been arrested for a DUI after an altercation at a nudie bar. And in case Belmar Mayor Ken Pringle was wondering, Ward is not from Staten Island, but rather a Jersey Shore resident.
