11.4: Impersonating Public Officers

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Page ID: 69958

George Cartwright
Madera Community College

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The crime of impersonating public officers is defined in section 146a of the California Penal Code.

(a) Any person who falsely represents himself or herself to be a deputy or clerk in any state department and who, in that assumed character, does any of the following is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding six months, by a fine not exceeding two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500), or both the fine and imprisonment:

(1) Arrests, detains, or threatens to arrest or detain any person.

(2) Otherwise intimidates any person.

(3) Searches any person, building, or other property of any person.

(4) Obtains money, property, or other thing of value.

(b) Any person who falsely represents himself or herself to be a public officer, investigator, or inspector in any state department and who, in that assumed character, does any of the following shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, by a fine not exceeding two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500), or by both that fine and imprisonment, or by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170:

(1) Arrests, detains, or threatens to arrest or detain any person.

(2) Otherwise intimidates any person.

(3) Searches any person, building, or other property of any person.

(4) Obtains money, property, or other thing of value.

Florida Man Caught Impersonating U.S. Marshal After Running Red Light

Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) Corporal Neil Rosaci arrested 52-year-old Derry Wayne Lambert for False Impersonation of a Law Enforcement Officer, Unlawful Use of Blue Lights, Unlawful Use of a Badge, Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Felony, Possession of Diazepam, and Introduction of Contraband into a Detention Facility. On Monday, at approximately 5:15 p.m., Corporal Rosaci was at the Marathon gas station near South Highway 301 and SE Highway 42. While fueling his agency patrol vehicle, he heard an unfamiliar emergency siren and observed a black pickup truck, equipped with flashing red and blue emergency lights, driving around cars and through a red light. Due to the unusual tone of the siren and the fact that there were no calls for service that would require such a response from law enforcement at that time, a traffic stop was conducted. Upon approaching the vehicle, Lambert was observed wearing a hat with the lettering “Police U.S. Marshal” and a Department of Justice seal. He also displayed a badge and claimed that he was a U.S. Marshal. Lambert advised he was responding to a shooting in Marion Oaks, but there were no reported shootings in the area. After several attempts to verify his law enforcement status yielded negative results. Corporal Rosaci contacted MCSO’s U.S. Marshal Liaison, who responded to interview Lambert.

During the interview, Lambert provided inconsistent information, and it became apparent that Lambert was falsely impersonating a U.S. Marshal. A search of his vehicle revealed he had a full control panel for emergency sirens and lights, as well as a firearm. Lambert was arrested and transported to the Marion County Jail. At the jail, Detention Deputy Jarred Bryant located several Diazepam pills in a concealed compartment inside Lambert’s wallet. Due to the nature of this incident, there is concern that this is not the only time Lambert has impersonated a law enforcement officer.⁸⁸

⁸⁸Wikipedia Commons

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