A Florida man has been arrested for impersonating a state trooper in an attempt to capture his ex-girlfriend.
RELATED STORIES: Florida Woman Tells Cops To “Come to getting Kids” After She Strangles Them
Claude Francis Tristram of Key Largo violated a court-ordered injunction from March when he contacted his ex-girlfriend. Investigators from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said he consistently stalked her by calling, texting, and mailing the victim USB devices that contained messages. Additionally, Tristam used an app that allowed him to conceal his identity and change his phone number.
According to NBC-2, Monroe County’s 911 Communication Center received a phone call from someone who claimed to be an off-duty New York state trooper and reported a possible drunk driver on the road. Deputies approached the vehicle and were approached by Tristam, who attempted to assist, who said he knew where his ex-girlfriend was going. However, deputies learned that the woman was not intoxicated, and she explained that Tristam was a former boyfriend who harassed her.
RELATED STORIES: Florida Man Steals $10K R2-D2 Droid While Impersonating A Disney World Employee
Detectives followed up the investigation and traced the DUI report that Tristam made to the phone application he used to stalk his ex-girlfriend. After receiving the records, they were to identify that the calls came from Tristam’s account. He was later arrested and charged with false impersonation of a police officer after they could not locate him within the New York State trooper database.
According to NBC Miami, Tristam’s previous arrest record was for battery and contempt of court in 2021.
A similar incident occurred last year when two Florida men impersonated U.S. Marshals.
Last February, Walter Brown Jr.,53, and Gary Brummett, 81, were at the Wyndham Deerfield Resort and threatened hotel staff with arrest if they made them wear a mask on the premises. The pair allegedly claimed they were medically exempt from the hotel’s policies regarding masks and flashed false laminated identification cards to avoid the hotel’s mask policy.
“l am exempt from any ordinance requiring face mask usage in public. … Wearing a face mask poses a mental and/or physical risk to me. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), I am not required to disclose my condition to you.”
According to a criminal complaint, the two men refused to wear masks on two occasions and one of the hotel staff, whose cousin works as an actual U.S. marshal, said it was concerning how a federal agent would have an issue wearing masks. The hotel manager contacted authorities to confirm their claims.
Upon their arrest, officers said Brown and Brummett were seen dining together and wearing authentic badges on their belts and with a seven-point star that reads ‘Cherokee Nation Marshal’ as reported by ABC News. Both men were arrested for impersonating a federal officer.
Investigators also confirmed that the men were never employees of the U.S. Marshals Service and the Cherokee National Marshal Service. They were held at the Joseph V. Conte Facility in Pompano Beach.