Believing from the beginning that a reported armed robbery was a hoax, Whitefish police arrested two men Thursday for their part in robbing Town Pump.

They allegedly buried their loot in a river bank.

Robert McCallum, 22, of Kalispell, is the clerk who worked at the store for about four years, according to Whitefish Police Department Detective Sgt. Roger Bergstrom.

McCallum had been re-assigned to bookkeeping for the store in September. Short of cash, behind on a house payment and wanting to visit a dentist, he conspired to rob the store with his roommate, Kyler Fazekas, 21, Bergstrom said.

On Sunday morning, McCallum took a bank bag containing about $6,000 cash to his car, on the way to deposit it at the bank, he said. Then, in a staged robbery, Fazekas broke a window in McCallum's car, grabbed the bank bag, flattened McCallum's tire and fled, Bergstrom said.

He said Fazekas fled only as far as Best Bet Casino nearby, where a worker asked for identification that proved he was old enough to be in the establishment. Fazekas made a telephone call and left, Bergstrom said.

Thursday, McCallum agreed to a voice-stress analysis, which indicated that he was lying, Bergstrom said. Further information led to McCallum's arrest and, at about 7:30 Thursday night, Fazekas' arrest.

The men reportedly buried their treasure in a river bank near Columbia Falls. Police began digging there, believing the money was buried only a foot or so deep, Bergstrom said. Only about half the money was recovered Thursday night, he said.

"I was suspicious right from the get-go," he said of McCallum's story.

"We knew from the beginning this was a hoax," Police Chief Bill Dial said.

Reporter Chery Sabol may be reached at 758-4441 or by e-mail at [email protected]