We've all heard theories about various ways to trick breath tests. Some people think sucking on a mint will change the BAC reading; other people stick a penny under their tongues thinking it will help. But if you've seen Mythbusters, you likely know that most of those tricks don't work. Moreover, in some situations, if you are caught trying to evade an arrest or trick a Virginia police officer, you can face additional criminal charges for that.

A 25-year-old man was unaware that putting a penny under your tongue is not an effective way to beat a breathalyzer. When the man was pulled over on suspicion of drunk driving, he put a penny in his mouth. Later, when the police officer told him to spit the penny out, he swallowed it.

According to police reports, the man was driving erratically at about 4:45 a.m. A police officer saw the man make an erratic turn and pulled him over. When the police officer tried to give the man a breath test, the man allegedly only pretended to blow into the machine. The man was taken to the police station, and later, after asking to use the bathroom, the man was given another breath test, which he also pretended to blow in.

However, the police officer noticed the man had something in his mouth and told him to spit it out. In response, the man swallowed the penny. The police report stated that the driver had tried "the myth that a penny is supposed to throw off the machine."

The man was charged with DUI and improper driving. The man, however, claims that he had not been drinking and that his hand slipped from the steering wheel when he was turning.

Source: Online Athens, "Penny doesn't fool DUI machine," Feb. 1, 2012