KARNS CITY — A Karns City man was arrested Friday after he allegedly impersonated the Allegheny County District Attorney in an effort to steal cigarettes, pizza and beer from county stores Wednesday.

Russell Miller, 49, was arrested about 5 p.m. at his home on Laurel Lane and charged with impersonating a public servant.

Police said Miller claimed to be District Attorney Stephen Zappala Jr. or a member of his staff.

He allegedly pretended to be Zappala when he went into Rollie’s tobacco shop on Route 8 in Center Township on Wednesday, told an employee he had been shorted on merchandise, and made off with two packs of cigarettes.

He used the same scheme at Pizza Joe’s in Butler and Drive-Thru Beverages in Butler Township later that day. Miller told a clerk at the beer distributor 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.

Miller admitted he had stolen the items by giving false statements about his identity, police said.

State police, Butler police and Butler Township police met with a representative of Zappala’s office to share information and to reviewed surveillance video from at least two of the stores.

Miller was arraigned before District Judge Louis Stoughton in Chicora. He is in the Butler County Prison on $40,000 bond.