California-based actor Ray Buffer has been charged with misdemeanor theft after a comic book store accused him of stealing from their San Diego business back in October.
Buffer, who appeared in shows like “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “ER,” was charged by the San Diego City Attorney’s Office with petty theft, pleading not guilty to the charge in January, a spokesperson for the office told The Post Wednesday.
The spokesperson also confirmed the charge was connected to an incident that occurred on Oct. 4, 2022, at Southern California Comics, which very publicly accused Buffer at the time of stealing hundreds of dollars worth of comics.
A readiness conference in San Diego Superior Court is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 28, the city attorney’s office said. The city officials did not provide the date when charges were filed, but a case involving Buffer was filed on Dec. 13, 2022, according to online records.
The comic book store blasted out surveillance footage of the alleged theft days after the incident, which shows a man inside the business who appears to conceal the comics under his shirt.
Southern California Comics owner Jamie Newbold told The Post Wednesday he didn’t know Buffer was charged until he received a call from an attorney with the city this week. He said he was pleased the case was moving forward.
“I thought this case got swept under or out of the way,” Newbold said. “Now I realize the case matters, therefore what I’ve had to go through matters.”
“I was losing hope every month I didn’t hear anything from anyone,” he said, after he contacted authorities two days following the October incident.
Newbold explained in an October interview he originally put images up of an unidentified man on social media to warn other comic book stores about the possible thief. Other businesses then claimed the man was Buffer.
Southern California Comics shared the news of Buffer’s prosecution in a Facebook post Wednesday.
Newbold wrote he was told by the San Diego City Attorney’s Office that Buffer’s lawyer is hoping to settle the case by allowing Buffer to enter a diversion program that would require the actor to pay restitution for the alleged theft.
“He gets off really light if the courts allow him to pay for the crime financially,” Newbold said. “I would prefer that he sees justice.”
Newbold estimates that about 10 comics were stolen worth around $850.
Further information on the case was not made available by the city attorney’s office and the office did not provide a defense attorney for Buffer Wednesday evening.
At least one other comic store claimed Buffer stole from them in September, though it’s unclear whether the accusations led to criminal activity.
Buffer had other minor roles in single episodes of “CSI: Miami,” “Gilmore Girls” and “Cold Case,” according to his IMDb page.
He’s also appeared in multiple movies, according to this profile.
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