Michigan man charged with defrauding retailers with claim to be

DETROIT -- It's good to be the prince, but only if you're the real thing.

A Michigan man who is not a Saudi prince and not worth $480 million, as he claimed, is accused of defrauding two upscale stores of $29,000 worth of clothing, jewelry and perfume.

Gignac, 32, faces local charges of credit card fraud with a maximum penalty of four years in prison.

Gignac also faces a charge of pretending to be an official of a foreign government with intent to defraud, according to a complaint filed in Detroit federal court. That carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison.

Gignac was being held Saturday in the Oakland County Jail in lieu of $125,000 bond, a clerk said. Jail records did not indicate whether Gignac had an attorney, she said.