Tuesday 24 May 2022 03:16 AM Maryland man pretended to be a police officer for 15 YEARS with fake badge and ... trends now
A career criminal was indicted for impersonating a police officer this month - an elaborate ruse that he had kept up for at least 15 years using fake props, a real gun and even a trained dog, federal prosecutors said.
The scheme began to unravel after he attempted to apprehend two women who disputed their bill at a restaurant in Prince George's County, Maryland, where he worked security.
The incident occurred on March 6, as Antione Tuckson, 37, armed with a bite dog, police vest, Glock handgun and taser, sought to impersonate a member of the US Marshals service.
When the dispute arose with two women, however, it was Tuckson himself who called the Prince George's County Police Department.
Tuckson flashed a badge to responding officers, who he met close to the restaurant to describe the situation.
Tuckson is a resident of nearby Waldorf, Maryland.
Antione Tuckson pictured with his dog Pearl in 2017. Tuckson spent time in prison for crimes including theft and unlicensed possession of a firearm
Antione Tuckson was indicted for impersonating an officer on May 19 and arrested on May 20. He could face three years in prison alone on charges of possessing firearm as a felon
Tuckson's dog, Pearl, shown in front of one of the suspect's vehicles that came equipped with red and blue flashing lights
The feds say that Tuckson created a fake US Marshal's ID card on a printer they found in his home in Waldorf, Maryland
The cops noticed something was wrong when they realized that Tuckson had left his dog at the eatery - something that law-enforcement canine handlers never do.
According to federal charging documents, Tuckson then tried to have his friend, named in charging documents as Nijea Rich, impersonate his supervisor when the officers demanded further proof of the suspect's credentials.
When the officers were in the process of arresting Tuckson, Rich arrived at the scene in 'police-style clothing.' She told the police that Tuckson's dog was her emotional support animal and was also a patrol dog.
Besides the bogus uniform, Rich was armed with a handgun, handcuffs, a radio and an expandable baton.
Tuckson has been cited for impersonating an officer on three previous occasions in 2006, 2009 and 2018
These are some of the items retrieved from Tuckson's home, including an expandable baton
These are some of the weapons that were found at Tuckson's home, they included an AR15 rifle with a scope
According to documents, Rich asked the arresting
