A District Heights man was arrested and charged over the weekend with impersonating an officer, and police in Montgomery County are concerned there may be additional victims of his police impersonation.
In addition to the charge of impersonating an officer, Kareem Hart, 24, is also charged with extortion and false imprisonment.
Police caught up to Hart in Silver Spring, after responding to the report of a suspicious situation. A 20-year-old man had been stopped Saturday night after making a wrong-way turn onto a one-way lane in the White Oak Shopping Center parking lot.
A white Nissan Versa with Allied Security markings drove behind him and the yellow light bar on the roof started to flash, Montgomery County Police said.
The victim thought it was a police officer.
The man in the white car approached him and was wearing an Allied Security uniform.
“This person told him that he would write him a $250 ticket for violating that one-way lane in the shopping center, but if the victim in this case sent him $50 via an electronic payment app, then he would not write him a ticket,” Innocenti said.
So the victim paid $50 electronically, left the immediate area and called police a little after 6 p.m. Saturday.
Both the Nissan Versa and Hart were located around 7:50 p.m., at the White Oak Shopping Center parking lot. The victim identified Hart as the one who stopped his vehicle earlier in the evening.
“We haven’t confirmed his employment status with that company. He was driving a vehicle with those markings and wearing a security-type uniform but we have not confirmed that he, in fact, works for that company,” Innocenti said.
Police are also reminding the public “that we do not ask for payment via any type of app in lieu of not receiving a citation,” Innocenti said.
Investigators would like to hear from anyone who may have encountered Hart while he was impersonating an officer. They can be reached at 240-773-6893.