A New York man has been charged with criminal impersonation as police say he falsely claimed to be an FBI agent who had been injured in the line of duty, after previously lying about being shot by an intruder.
According to the Westchester County Police Department, the incident unfolded on July 4 at Playland Park, where undercover officers encountered a man wearing what appeared to be an FBI badge while walking a dog wearing a vest with K9 patches.
The 47-year-old reportedly told officers he and the dog had both been shot while on duty. He then showed them a gunshot wound on his knee before claiming the dog had bitten and killed the gunman responsible.
Dogwalker who shot himself arrested for impersonating FBI agent
Officers were immediately suspicious of the story, and when a nearby restaurant handed them a business card that the man, identified as John Fiore, had been giving out for a dogwalking business, they began looking into it.
Investigators were unable to find any record of an FBI agent matching the man’s identity or any recent shooting involving an FBI K9 team. Instead, their investigation led them to a previous New York State Police announcement involving Fiore.
It turns out he had previously reported being shot by an intruder, but it was concluded that the wound had actually been self-inflicted. A search of his home also revealed “illegal weapons and narcotics.”
As officers escorted Fiore to the precinct, he allegedly attempted to get rid of the fake FBI badge by knocking it from his waistband and trying to kick it away.
Fiore was charged with first-degree criminal impersonation, a felony, and is due to appear in Rye City Court on July 14.
Meanwhile, the real FBI thanked YouTubers for helping them catch scammers who were running a $65 million fraud ring.
