When Alfonso Manzo wore a Red Cross jacket around Staten Island last week, people may have assumed he was helping others.

The police say he was actually helping himself, and merely wore the jacket to make it easier to burglarize homes evacuated because of Hurricane Sandy, according to the New York Daily News.

Manzo, 49, was reportedly checking out some homes on Midland Ave. when he was approached by some cops.

Officials say Manzo claimed to be a volunteer for the Red Cross, but didn’t have any documentation. He was arrested on charges of burglary and criminal impersonation of a public servant, the New York Post reported.

Upon arrest, he was allegedly discovered to be in possession of six white pills believed to be methadone and was also charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, SILive.com reported.

Court papers obtained by SILive.com allege that Manzo later admitted that he was not affiliated with the Red Cross.

Being arrested is nothing new for Manzo, who, according to police records, has been arrested 28 times and served four prison stints since 1984, according to the New York Post.

In August, Manzo was arrested for the December theft of an SUV from an autobody shop. Police say he drove the stolen car to Atlantic City so he could party on New Year’s Eve.

 – Huffington Post