GRETNA, La. (AP) — A man who wanted time off from work told his co-workers a made-up story that his 2-year-old daughter had died, then pocketed more than $1,300 in donations from them, authorities said.

Henry Eugene Bingham, 26, was charged with obtaining property by false pretenses. If convicted of the felony, he could be sentenced to as many as 10 years in prison, fined as much as $10,000, or both. He has not entered a plea.

According to court documents, workers at Snelson Pipeline Co. in Granger raised $1,319 after Bingham told them Oct. 16 that his daughter had fallen ill and died.

Bingham told a sheriff's deputy that he made up the story to try to get time off from work, but didn't answer when asked why he took the money and continued to work, according to the court documents.

When someone from the company called his home Thursday, Bingham's wife, Angela, said the child was alive and well. Angela Bingham later told investigators he came home with a large sum of money; she turned over $1,236 to authorities.

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