Staff Writer
11:21 a.m. PST, March 7, 2011

STATESVILLE, N.C. (WGHP)
Police in Statesville have charged an 83-year-old man who worked as a greeter at Walmart with attempting to rob his own store.

Officers responded to the garden center section of the Walmart, located at 1116 Crossroads Drive in Statesville, shortly before 7 p.m.

Police say George Plane Jr., 83, of Mooresville, was working Sunday night when he went to his car, donned a disguise and walked back inside with a gun.

Statesville Police Chief Tom Anderson says Plane put the gun to a fellow employee's head and demanded money from a cash register. Anderson says Plane fired a shot in the air after leaving with the money.

Police said that witnesses pointed officers in the direction of Plane's vehicle. Plane was arrested later Sunday.

The money was returned to the business, police said.

Plane was placed in the Iredell County Detention Center under a $75,000 bond. His first court appearance is scheduled for Monday. He faces multiple charges, including robbery with a dangerous weapon.