impersonation

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Man, 27, Gets Decades in Prison After Faking Being 17

Zachary Scheich sentenced to 85 to 120 years after enrolling in high schools, sexually assaulting girls

(Newser) - For about 10 weeks in late 2022 and early 2023, 17-year-old Zak (also spelled Zach) Hess attended two different high schools in Lincoln, Nebraska, his mother dutifully meeting with school counselors to help him transition. However, authorities now say that "boy" was really a man in his mid-20s named...

'One-Time Hero to Election Deniers' Is Convicted

Ex-county clerk Tina Peters found guilty of tampering with 2020 election in Colorado

(Newser) - Former Colorado clerk Tina Peters, the first local election official to be charged with a security breach after the 2020 election as unfounded conspiracy theories swirled, was found guilty by a jury on most charges Monday. Peters, a one-time hero to election deniers, was accused of using someone else's...

Cops: They Flashed Fake Badges, Then Robbed Victims

Vasile Alexandru, 19, and Laurentiu Baceanu, 20, faked being ICE agents in California's OC, cops say

(Newser) - On Thursday, two back-to-back robberies in Orange County, California, captured law enforcement's attention for their similar MO: Two men in a blue SUV going up to their victims, claiming they were Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, then robbing them. Now, police in Anaheim say they've detained two men...

Cops Hear Weird Siren, Arrest Phony US Marshal

Florida man claimed he was investigating shootings

(Newser) - A man accused of impersonating a law enforcement officer was wearing a hat that said "Police US Marshal," police in Florida say, but it didn't take a real Marshal more than a few seconds to determine he wasn't the real deal. The Marion County Sheriff's...

Restaurant's Fake Priest Just Cost It $140K
Restaurant's
Fake Priest Just
Cost It $140K
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Jun 24, 2023 4:15 PM CDT

Restaurant's Fake Priest Just Cost It $140K

California eatery had workers confess their 'sins' in 'most shameless' plot to intimidate them, per DOL

(Newser) - It may have seemed a bit unconventional for a priest to show up at their place of employment to offer confession, but workers at the Taqueria Garibaldi restaurant in Sacramento took the holy man up on the chance to admit their "sins." Now, the owners of the Northern...

Lawyers: We Know Phony High Schooler's Case Is 'Very Bizarre'

Attorneys for Hyejeong Shin say she faked her way in to New Jersey high school due to loneliness

(Newser) - At age 16, Hyejeong Shin came to the United States from South Korea and attended boarding school in Massachusetts. In 2019, she graduated from Rutgers with a degree in political science and Chinese, got married, and set up her home in a high-rise not far from the New Jersey university....

Assistant Coach Fired After Impersonating Player, 13

'I was just shocked,' says the girl's father in Portsmouth, Virginia

(Newser) - An assistant coach for a JV girls' basketball team in Virginia is now a former assistant coach after displaying some seriously odd judgment. Arlisha Boykins, 22, pretended to be a 13-year-old and played in a game for Churchland High School in Portsmouth, Virginia, reports WAVY 10 . (See video here .)...

Armed Robbers in DC Home: Don't Worry, We're FBI

They weren't, Metropolitan PD says of 4 suspects in tactical gear who fled in stolen silver Audi

(Newser) - The occupants of a DC home had a frightening Wednesday morning after an armed robbery by a group claiming to be FBI agents. The Metropolitan Police Department says that four suspects decked out in tactical gear used flashlights and a crowbar in the predawn hours to enter the home, where...

'Out of Control' Cop Impersonator Arrested Again

Jeremy Dewitte, nabbed for probation violation, blames YouTube hack for latest woes

(Newser) - A registered sex offender accused of impersonating police officers at least five times in Florida has been arrested again just three months after his release from state prison. Jeremy Dewitte, arrested for a probation violation on a warrant out of Orange County, is also accused of probation violation and refusing...

Man Accused of Creative Scheme to Steal Audi
Really Want
an Audi?
Don't Do This
Apr 13, 2022 7:32 AM CDT

Really Want an Audi? Don't Do This

Randy Cantwell arrested for impersonating federal marshal, trying to steal car in Tulsa, Okla.

(Newser) - A man in Oklahoma apparently had his heart set on an Audi, but his alleged scheme to acquire one didn't work out the way it was supposed to. KTUL reports that Randy Cantwell was arrested in Tulsa after police say he showed up at a car dealership in Tulsa,...

Cops Say Fake Nurse Worked at Hospital for a Year
Cops Say Fake Nurse
Worked at Hospital for a Year
in case you missed it
Nov 28, 2021 1:30 PM CST

Cops Say Fake Nurse Worked at Hospital for a Year

Canadian woman Brigitte Cleroux has a long history of similar offenses

(Newser) - Authorities in Canada say Brigitte Cleroux appears to have had a long career working as a nurse at numerous hospitals and clinics—which is a big problem, because she isn't a nurse. Police say the 49-year-old used the name of a real nurse to get a job at BC...

Cops: Guy Impersonated Cop, Swiped Doughnut

Daniel Mark Wright is accused of impersonating sheriff's deputy, stealing a 7-Eleven baked good

(Newser) - People have pretended they're law enforcement officers to pull people over , to make arrests , and yes, to get discounts on coffee and doughnuts . But authorities say a Utah man who impersonated a cop felt even more entitled, going so far as to steal a doughnut from 7-Eleven. Per a...

Guy Arrested on Same Odd Charge Twice in One Week

Florida's LeRoy Stotelmyer accused of impersonating a law officer

(Newser) - Hand it to LeRoy Stotelmyer, he doesn't give up. The Florida man was arrested Friday for allegedly impersonating a law officer only days after being arrested on the very same charge, the Orlando Sentinel reports. The 60-year-old's latest alleged offense: impersonating an officer to avoid paying a $2...

Scammers Called Up People for Money and Got $50M

Looks like Gilbert Chikli, 54, and Anthony Lasarevitsch, 35, are going to prison

(Newser) - Six guys scammed people out of $50 million—by calling them and asking for it, the New York Times reports. A French court found them all guilty Wednesday of an elaborate scheme to defraud wealthy political, religious, and business figures. It seems Gilbert Chikli, 54, and Anthony Lasarevitsch, 35, masterminded...

AG: Fake Pharmacist Doled Out 750K Prescriptions

For over 10 years, Kim Thien Le worked as Bay Area pharmacist without license: Xavier Becerra

(Newser) - For more than 10 years, Kim Thien Le handed out scads of prescriptions as a pharmacist at a handful of Walgreens stores in the Bay Area—nearly 750,000 scripts when all was said and done, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra noted Tuesday. The problem, per the AG's statement:...

Hope, Then Devastation: Details Emerge on Missing Boy Hoax

Investigators: Brian Rini says he learned about Timmothy Pitzen, who vanished in 2011, from TV

(Newser) - An "astounding" story turned into a crushing blow for the family of a missing Illinois boy, and now there are a slew of questions surrounding the man who prosecutors say impersonated him. A young man turned up in the streets of Newport, Ky., on Wednesday, claiming to be Timmothy...

Leaked Audio Won't Put Aussie PM in Trump's Good Graces

Malcolm Turnbull mimics the president

(Newser) - Malcolm Turnbull should probably expect another heated phone call with President Trump. During what was supposed to be an off-the-record speech Wednesday at the Australian Parliament's Midwinter Ball—comparable to the White House Correspondents Dinner in the US—the Australian prime minister put on his best Trump impression, mimicking...

Woman Dresses Up Like Old Lady to Take Mom's Driving Test

But at least she knows she can't pass for 73

(Newser) - An instructor in Ontario was supposed to be giving a driving test to a 73-year-old woman last Thursday, CBC reports. But the woman who showed up that day looked quite a bit younger. The woman was wearing glasses, a wig, and "clothing suited to an older person." The...

Cops: Guy Posed as Senator to Avoid Paying Loan

Sidney Hines' alleged scheme didn't work

(Newser) - A man's alleged scheme to make officials forget about his outstanding loan not only failed, but could put him behind bars for up to 15 years. Police say Sidney Hines, 67, received a federal HomeSaver Advance loan for about $6,000 in 2008 on his home in New Port...

Shopper 'Outed' as 'Fake' Soldier in Viral Video

Philadelphia man peppered with questions about his uniform

(Newser) - An ugly encounter between a decorated US military veteran and a guy wearing camouflage fatigues has spawned a viral video—and may lead to federal charges, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Ryan Berk, a Purple Heart recipient who served with the 101st Airborne Division in Afghanistan, noticed the shopper wearing fatigues...

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