MOUNT OLIVE — After a Long Valley man was stiffed in a drug deal, he decided to call the cops and report that he was robbed by two people — one of whom brandished a pair of nunchuks — police say.

Mount Olive police

The robbery story was a lie, but the nunchuks were real, police say.

Bryan Christopher, 26, called police at 2:58 a.m. Saturday to report that he was forced to hand over $300 to a man brandishing the traditional martial arts weapons, police said in a news release.

Christopher told officers he followed the man and woman responsible for the robbery back to a residence on High Street, police said. Christopher was waiting at the scene when officers arrived and identified the other people involved: Arthur Appleby III, 29, of Newark and Jennifer Oreilly, 27, of Budd Lake.

While investigating the incident, officers learned that a robbery had not taken place, but that Christopher had paid Oreilly $300 for a controlled dangerous substance, police said. She instead tried to sell him a cigarette box that contained no drugs, police said.

"When Mr. Christopher realized he was not receiving what he paid for, he contacted the police and fabricated a story about how he was robbed for the money," police said.

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But at least one part of the story was true, police said. When Christopher tried to retrieve his money, Appleby took nunchuks out of his pants and held them so that Christopher could see the weapon, police said.

Christopher was charged with filing a false police report, harassment and terroristic threats, police said.

Oreilly was charged with theft by deception, and Appleby was charged with third-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, police said.

All three individuals were released on their own recognizance pending court appearances, police said.