An Italian man accused of pretending to be George Clooney to promote his products has been arrested in Thailand after years of evading authorities.
Francesco Galdeli, 58, and his wife Vanja Goffi, 45, had been wanted since 2013. The actor sued the couple, dubbed the “Italian Bonnie and Clyde,” and testified against them in a 2010 trial, saying they had used his name to advertise their clothing label fraudulently.
“During interrogation, Francesco confessed to claiming to be George Clooney and opening a clothes business to trick people into sending money,” a statement from Thailand’s Crime Suppression Division said.
The couple claimed they had Clooney’s endorsement for their clothing line named GC and doctored photographs of themselves with the actor at events promoting their products.
Galdeli and Goffi had been living in Thailand since 2014, selling fake Rolex watches but sending buyers salt packets instead.
Police found the couple during a surveillance operation and surrounded the luxury villa they were staying in before breaking in and taking them into custody Saturday.
According to Thai police, Galdeli admitted to claiming to be Clooney, 58, and running a scam. Galdeli was arrested in 2014 but escaped from custody during his trial.
