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A New Jersey man is facing criminal charges after he allegedly coughed on a grocery store employee and then alleged he contracted COVID-19. George Falcone has now been charged with terroristic threats in the third degree, obstruction in the fourth degree and harassment. The incident took place at around 6:30 p.m. Sunday, March 22, at the Wegmans grocery store chain in Manalapan.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy mentioned the incident during a news conference earlier this week saying police responded to a call after a man was involved in an encounter with a female worker at Wegmans and “coughed on the woman and told her after doing so that he had the coronavirus.”

Falcone was at the store when the employee became concerned that he wasn’t practicing social distancing and standing too close to her a news release reported.

The employee him to step back as she covered an open display of prepared food. Falcone moved forward within three feet of her and coughed, laughed and claimed he had the virus. Falcone allegedly also told two other employees that were lucky to have their jobs.

An officer working at the store confronted the 50-year-old after the incident and two days later he was charged.

Murphy scolded Falcone for his alleged actions.

“There are knuckleheads out there. We see them and we are enforcing behavior,” he said at Rutgers University-Newark during his daily news briefing.Attorney General Gurbir Grewal thanked the Manalapan Police Department and the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office for their response to the investigation.

“These are extremely difficult times in which all of us are called upon to be considerate of each other— not to engage in intimidation and spread fear, as alleged in this case,” he said.

“We must do everything we can to deter this type of conduct and any similar conduct that harms others during this emergency. Just as we are cracking down on bias offenses and those who use the pandemic to fuel hatred and prejudice, we vow to respond swiftly and strongly whenever someone commits a criminal offense that uses the Coronavirus to generate panic or discord” he said.

Third-degree charges carry a sentence of three to five years in state prison and a fine of up to $15,000, while fourth-degree charges carry a sentence of up to 18 months in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, according to the news release. \