Rip Torn Says He's Not Guilty of Drunken Bank Break-In

Torn's attorney: The actor was merely confused and mistook the bank for his home

Actor Rip Torn appeared before a judge on Tuesday on burglary and gun charges and said he's not guilty. The 79-year-old actor, who lives in Salisbury, Conn., is accused of breaking into a bank near his home in January when he was drunk and had a gun in his pocket. 

Torn’s lawyer, A Thomas Waterfall, says the actor was merely confused and mistook the bank for his home, which happens to be a different color and half a mile down the street. 

Torn checked into rehab immediately following the incident.

The award winning actor starred as Agent Zed alongside Will Smith in the Men in Black movies. He now faces five charges including burglary in the first degree, which carries a maximum five-year jail term. Torn has been arrested several times before for drink-driving. He will appear at Litchfield Superior Court in Connecticut. 

Suspected drunken misbehavior is nothing new to Torn. He was convicted of drunken driving in 2008, pleaded guilty to being ability-impaired in 2007, and was acquitted by a jury in a 2004 drunken driving case, according to The Register Citizen.

After his 2008 conviction, he avoided jail time by agreeing to attend a state-approved weekend substance abuse program, according to the paper.

He is due back in court on April 27.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
Contact Us