impersonator

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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...

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...

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....

He Pulled Over Countless Drivers. He Wasn't a Cop
He Pulled Over Countless
Drivers. One Big Problem
longform
Feb 18, 2023 2:40 PM CST

He Pulled Over Countless Drivers. One Big Problem

Narratively explores the tale of 'notorious police impersonator' Jeremy Dewitte

(Newser) - The thing of it is, the business idea itself wasn't a bad one. In the early 2010s, Jeremy Dewitte launched a company called Metro State to provide escorts for funerals in Florida. But as Dylan Taylor-Lehman writes at Narratively , things got seriously out of hand. As in, Dewitte would...

'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...

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...

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...

Kim Jong Un Impersonator Stopped, Questioned by Cops

Lookalikes arrived in Singapore just in time for the summit

(Newser) - A Kim Jong Un lookalike was detained and questioned upon his arrival in Singapore on Friday, days before a summit between the North Korean leader and President Donald Trump, reports the AP . The Hong Kong-based impersonator, who uses the name Howard X, is in the city-state for summit-related promotions by...

Fake Veteran Once Impersonated a Dead Cop

Sean Yetman caught with Robert Hays' coat, badge in 2003

(Newser) - A man accused of impersonating a US military officer in a viral video was caught posing as a cop more than a decade ago. Sean Yetman pleaded guilty to impersonating a public servant in 2003, after he was caught during a routine traffic stop wearing the coat of a Philadelphia...

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...

Ricin Suspect: Elvis Impersonator, Conspiracy Theorist

Paul Kevin Curtis has a colorful online presence

(Newser) - The Mississippi man accused of sending ricin to President Obama and a Republican senator is an impersonator of some 70 celebrities with a colorful online presence and a penchant for conspiracy theories, reports the Clarion-Ledger in a look at Paul Kevin Curtis, who was arrested yesterday. Curtis, who apparently has...

Kid, 17, Dupes Fla. Hospital, Snags ER Job

Police say Matthew Scheidt wore lab coat, examined patients, gave CPR

(Newser) - A 17-year-old boy has been arrested on charges of impersonating a physician's assistant and working in a Florida hospital's emergency room for a week, reports the Orlando Sentinel . Police say Matthew Scheidt dressed in a lab coats and surgical scrubs, conducted physical exams, and reportedly even gave CPR...

GOP's Obama Impersonator Stunned by Backlash

Audience loved his performance, says Reggie Brown

(Newser) - The comedian hired to impersonate President Obama at the Republican Leadership Conference says he's surprised by the stinging backlash to his over-the-top performance . “I don’t think I crossed any sort of lines," with his racially tinged jokes, Reggie Brown tells the Washington Post , claiming he would...

GOP Yanks Crass Obama Impersonator
GOP Yanks Crass
Obama Impersonator
Jun 19, 2011 6:25 AM CDT

GOP Yanks Crass Obama Impersonator

Comedian told racial, gay jokes before organizers removed him

(Newser) - A President Obama impersonator at a Republican gathering in New Orleans yesterday was pulled off the stage after making a series of off-color racial and gay jokes, reports the Washington Post . The comedian, Reggie Brown, came out to the music of Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA,"...

Buffalo Beast Scott Walker Hoax: Fake Call From David Koch Impersonator Shows How Easily Rich Donors Get Access: Opinion Roundup
Wisconsin Phone Hoax Shows Rich Guys' Access
OPINION roundup
Feb 23, 2011 6:15 PM CST

Wisconsin Phone Hoax Shows Rich Guys' Access

One defender: It also proves Scott Walker isn't best pals with Kochs

(Newser) - The phone call to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker from a gonzo journalist pretending to be GOP donor David Koch ( click for the story and audio) continues to reverberate on the left and right:
  • Michelle Malkin : "The tapes show a strong executive focused on his job. They also show
...

Fake Cop Pulls Over Speeder, Collects Fine at ATM

Guy believed her even though she had no uniform

(Newser) - Another car pulls up beside you, and its female passenger demands you pull over for speeding, then tells you to pay a fine immediately. When you ask for ID, given she has no uniform, she tells you that's not necessary. Ontario police say a man found himself in this exact...

Cops: Woman Posed as Boy to Have Sex With Girl

31-year-old pretended to be 14 and male

(Newser) - A bizarre crime case out of Ohio: A 31-year-old woman has been charged with posing as a 14-year-old boy to have sex with a 16-year-old girl, reports the Dayton Daily News . Patricia Dye, aka "Matt Abrams," is being held on $100,000 bond and is charged with engaging...

For Fake Presidents, Competition Is Fierce

Race is on for top Obama impersonator

(Newser) - Think impersonating the president is a joke? For the professional actors trying to scratch their way to the top—to become First Impersonator—it's serious business, Slate reports. "I see this as a chance to grow as a dramatic actor," says one faux Obama. "Besides, it can...

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