WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP) -- A 52-year-old Milwaukee-area man is accused of repeatedly faking heart attacks to avoid paying restaurant bills and cab fares.

Police say Robert P. Farnam of Waukesha took a cab to a mall Monday and pretended to have a heart attack. The cab driver left unpaid.

Then, police say, Farnam ran up a $23 bill when he had a steak dinner at Applebee's. Again he pretended to have a heart attack.

This time the fire department responded and took him to Wisconsin Heart Hospital. A doctor there recognized Farnam from his previous alleged attempts at the same stunt in the last few weeks.

Farnam was charged Thursday with defrauding a restaurant as a habitual criminal. The misdemeanor charge carries a maximum penalty of nine months in prison and a $10,000 fine.

------

Information from: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, http://www.jsonline.com

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)