Crime Blotter

--> -- MAIL-ORDER MAJOR

LEBANON, Pa.

A civilian who said he promoted himself to the rank of major dressed up in an Air Force uniform and bluffed his way into stealing 30 rifles, nearly a dozen pistols, more than 12,000 rounds of ammunition and two sport utility vehicles, officials said.

Jeffrey Klotz, 35, of Washington, D.C., is accused of entering Fort Meade, Md., in a major’s uniform and leaving with two Chevrolet Blazers, 30 M-16 rifles and 10 M-9 pistols, according to court papers.

Klotz dutifully drove his cache to Fort Indiantown Gap in south-central Pennsylvania to help run a one-week training camp for Civil Air Patrol personnel, officials said.

Klotz belonged to the Civil Air Patrol from 1988 until May, when his membership lapsed, according to Marketing Director Mary Crowe. He said he left because of a bad knee, but kept up his military studies through a correspondence school.

“Jeffrey A. Klotz also stated that he continued to take mail-order classes and as time passed he promoted himself to the rank of major in 1996,” the investigators said in court filings.

“It’s tough to be deceived,” said Maj. Robert Meinert, executive director of the Civil Air Patrol. “But it’s amazing how he did it.”

John Maietta, press secretary for the state National Guard, said the weapons and ammunition have been recovered.

NAKED BREAKFAST

BOUND BROOK, N.J.

Police said a naked man broke into the home of a sleeping family, cooked up some sausages and then took a shower, refusing to come out of the shower until he was clean.

Brendan J. Shaw, 24, was charged with third-degree burglary and his bail was set at $10,000, police said.

The man is accused of breaking into the house about 6:20 a.m. Police said he later woke up the family’s daughter as he was digging around in her bedroom. She later told police the suspect identified himself, cursed and then ran into the bathroom.

He locked the door and turned on the shower.