A would-be robber from West Virginia made a crucial mistake of purchasing a softdrink using his debit card which led to his arrest a few hours later.

According to reports, 33-year old Shawn Thomas Lester told the convenience store clerk that he had a gun and wanted all the money in the register given to him. However, the transaction did not materialize after another customer walked in the store. The store clerk asked the suspect to pay for the soft drink.

Lester then gave his debit card to the clerk, signed “John Doe” on the receipt and left the store without any cash.

Little did Lester know that the police immediately traced his debit card and apprehended him at Charleston. The suspect told the authorities that he was simply joking about the threat.

Police reports revealed that Lester was charged with armed robbery.