A Wisconsin man is facing criminal punishment after being accused of verbally attacking a bank teller last month.
Jail records from the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department show that 44-year-old James DeFazio was charged with disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor, in connection to an alleged outburst at a Meijer supermarket on Dec. 30.
DeFazio appeared in court on Tuesday, and a prosecutor argued that he should be given a $300 cash bail due to his criminal past — a request that was granted. He was on probation before the incident and could see his probation revoked. A Kenosha County assistant district attorney also called for him to be prohibited from Meijer and US Banks.
Officials said DeFazio wanted to withdraw money from the bank inside the grocery store, according to a complaint viewed by the Kenosha County Eye, a local news outlet. When the teller asked to see identification, DeFazio became frustrated, saying, “Hurry up and give me my f**king money.”
According to the report, the teller instructed DeFazio to use the ATM instead, leading him to ask another employee for help, but they refused. He allegedly knocked over the items off the counter, tossed his wallet, and demanded to get it back. However, due to the heightened tension, the teller told him the police would get it for him.
He’s accused of continuing to hurl profanities in addition to racial slurs at the teller, including the N-word multiple times. He also called the teller a “pu**y a** b**ch” and ”c**k sucker.” The incident garnered attention from the other shoppers and staff.
The responding officer overheard DeFazio shouting, “Shut the f**k up,” upon arriving at the scene, the Kenosha County Eye reported. The officer was informed of DeFazio’s alleged actions by a loss prevention employee, who was looking at the incident through the security camera. The employee claimed he also saw DeFazio causing commotion inside the establishment.
DeFazio has been charged for similar incidents, one of which was captured on an off-duty officer’s body camera. Last July, an off-duty cop working as a security guard asked him to put his phone away inside a movie theater, which caused a heated encounter, according to the outlet. DeFazio reportedly started cursing at the officer and was ordered to leave the establishment. While doing so, he threw a cup and pushed the officer, the complaint states.
In response, the officer reportedly discharged his pepper spray, and DeFazio’s family tried to de-escalate the situation by getting him to exit the movie theater. On his way out, he allegedly knocked things over and broke a door, resulting in thousands in damages.
