BEATRICE, Neb. - Authorities say a Beatrice man faked his own kidnapping so he could collect ransom from his parents.

The Beatrice Daily Sun reports that the parents called Beatrice police earlier this week to report that their son, Andrew Lichtenberg, was being held ransom for $5,000, which had to be wired to his bank account.

Police determined that the calls came from the 30-year-old man's girlfriend's phone and traced the phone to the Lichtenberg's Beatrice home. Officers say they saw him through a window there, holding a silver handgun. They forced their way in and took him into custody. The gun turned out to be a CO2-powered BB gun.

Lichtenberg was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of attempted extortion, obstructing government operations and other crimes. Court records don't show he's been charged.