Police are searching for a thief who used a unique and brazen cover story to make off with cigarettes from one Butler County store, pizza from another one and beer from a third store Wednesday.

The suspect claimed he was Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala Jr., or a member of the DA’s staff.

Police say the pretend Zappala went into Rollie’s tobacco shop on Route 8 in Center Township about 11 a.m. He conned an employee by saying he had been shorted on merchandise he bought, police said.

He got away with two packs of cigarettes.

Next, the impostor used the same confidence scheme at Pizza Joes on North Main Street in Butler. He walked out of the shop with two large pizzas he paid nothing for, investigators said.

About 2 p.m., the suspect was at the Drive-Thru Beverages beer distributor on Route 8 south in Butler Township. The man told a clerk that he “works for the district attorney’s office and had picked up a large order of beer on Saturday but was short two cases,” according to a township police report.

He made off with two cases of Bud Light beer.

Investigators with state police, Butler police and Butler Township police later met here along with a representative of Zappala’s office to share information about their cases and reviewed surveillance video from at least two of the stores.

State police are now handling all three thefts.

Police described the suspect as white, about 6 feet, 2 inches tall and between 200 and 240 pounds, with light colored hair and a mustache.

The man was seen driving a late model, white Ford Crown Victoria, a vehicle similar to an unmarked police car.

Investigators noted that the fake Zappala looks nothing like the real Zappala.