Just as this story was on it's way to viral town, I wrote a post saying that my psychotic friend has hated this EXACT homeless guy for a while because the whole shoeless act was just that: an act. My buddy watched the man, near his Times Square office, as he accepted handouts of shoes from people every day. Our only guess is he realized being shoeless caused people's hearts to open. I will say, it sure beats shaking a cup of change in my face, that's for sure.

Well, lo and behold, a mere four days after a kindhearted NYPD Officer Lawrence DePrimo gave him another pair of fresh kicks and Internet fame, the New York Times is reporting that Shoeless Jeffery Hillman is shoeless once again. But Hillman says he is only shoeless because having shoes puts his life in danger, 'Those shoes are hidden. They are worth a lot of money. I could lose my life.' Sure, sure, that's why every other homeless person in NYC is shoeless at all times too. Oh, wait...THEY'RE NOT!

Hillman isn't just stashing his new boots, he wants some compensation for his newfound Internet fame. But of course he does...

Per the NY Times:

Mr. Hillman, 54, was by turns aggrieved, grateful and taken aback by all the attention that had come his way — even as he struggled to figure out what to do about it.

“I was put on YouTube, I was put on everything without permission. What do I get?” he said. “This went around the world, and I want a piece of the pie.”

He did not recall the photo being taken but remembered well the gift from Officer DePrimo. “I appreciate what the officer did, don’t get me wrong,” he said. “I wish there were more people like him in the world.”

Hillman must be suffering from amnesia because there are tens, if not hundreds, of other people that ARE like Officer DePrimo and have given him shoes within the last year.

Related:

ATTN: NYPD Officer Who Bought This Homeless Man a Pair of Shoes, You’ve Been Hoodwinked