Updated

Miami police have charged a jewelry store owner with falsely reporting an armed heist in which the robber made off with four gold bars worth $80,000, according to a report.

Levon Papikyan, owner of Deroso Jewelry, claimed being pepper sprayed during the Feb. 21 stickup, NBC 6 Miami reported Monday.

“At this point we can say he lied and we did charge him legitimately with filing a false police report,” Miami police spokeswoman Kenia Fallat told the station. The charge is a misdemeanor.

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Papikyan denied lying to police as he walked away from a reporter who approached him at his business.

Argentine businessman Juan Leiva and another person had just given Papikyan the gold bars to sell on their behalf, according to the station.

“It is serious money that I lost and now I’m trying to recover it, if possible,” Leiva told the station through an interpreter. "I thought that in Miami I could be sure there wouldn't be these kinds of problems. But I was wrong."

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Online records show Papikyan was charged April 5 and was released on $1,000 bail.