Lehighton police have arrested a 36-year-old man on a number of charges after he was seen attempting to break into vehicles and lying about his identity in the parking lot of the St. Luke’s Lehighton Campus.

James Vincent Morgan, of Sycamore Drive, Lehighton, is facing charges of simple assault, providing false identification to law enforcement authorities, harassment and disorderly conduct.

Police said they were summoned to the hospital area on North 12th Street around 9:30 p.m. Dec. 16, where three men sitting in a vehicle due to impending winter weather saw Morgan attempting to break into vehicles. When the men attempted to stop Morgan, he grabbed one of them by the neck and attempted to choke him, then becoming combative during a struggle that followed.

Police said hospital security personnel attempted to obtain the identity of Morgan, but he provided an incorrect name on several occasions and claimed he lives in Texas but had been staying in Quakertown. Police said they eventually conducted a Live Scan procedure on the man, whose identity came back as James Morgan of Bath.

Morgan told police he works for the CIA and he has legal rights to lie to police about who he is.

He also said he was a member of the Italian Mob and told the police officer he would place a hit on him. He told police the mob was following them and was going to “take the officer out.” When they pulled into the station, Morgan told police he called them off but he would get them later.

He was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Joseph Homanko of Weatherly and will face prosecution at the office of Magisterial District Judge Eric Schrantz.