A New Jersey man the governor described as a "knucklehead" faces multiple charges after he allegedly coughed on a grocery store worker and then claimed to have coronavirus.

Governor Phil Murphy said at a Tuesday afternoon news conference that the man got into a dispute with an employee of a Wegmans store sometime on Sunday.

"He coughed on the woman and told her, after doing so, that he had coronavirus," Murphy said.

The man, identified as George Falcone of Freehold, then allegedly refused to give police his name or driver's license for more than 40 minutes. It happened at the Wegmans on Route 9 in Manalapan.

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Falcone, now faces charges of making a terroristic threat, harassment, and obstruction of justice, according to the governor.


"We will not take any non-compliant behavior," Murphy warned.

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New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy had previously expressed anger at reports of people ignoring his stay-at-home order.

All nonessential businesses in the state have been ordered closed by the governor.

There have been other incidents across the country of people being charged for claiming to have coronavirus. In one case a 21-year-old man is facing charges after saying he was infected with coronavirus and coughing into Chicago police officers’ faces.

In Virginia, police were investigating after teens shot a video of themselves coughing on produce at a supermarket. The store was forced to throw away the food.