Man Held in Swindling Burt Reynolds, Ex-Wife
A man already charged with stealing from widows and orphans of Los Angeles police officers has been charged with stealing from actor Burt Reynolds.
William Patrick Bentley, 39, was charged Wednesday with forging Reynolds’ signature on a $20,000 check.
Bentley also was charged with stealing $24,000 from Reynolds’ ex-wife, actress Loni Anderson, and the Suarez Corp., in 1996.
Bentley, now jailed in lieu of $200,000 bail, was to enter a plea on two felony counts of grand theft and seven felony counts of forgery.
He was arrested Thursday as he walked into a downtown courtroom for trial in the first case.
The Tarzana promoter already faces charges of stealing about $30,000 from the 28th annual Police-Celebrity Golf Tournament held by the Los Angeles Police Memorial Foundation, a fund for officers’ widows and orphans.
Bentley was the tournament’s first paid coordinator.
“That case is still pending,” said Los Angeles County district attorney spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons.
“It’s possible [the] cases may be tried together, but we really don’t know yet.”
Bentley, who is being held on $104,000 bail, is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday on the new charges, Gibbons said.
A spokesman for Reynolds did not return an after-hours phone call Thursday.
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