Crime & Justice

Ohio Man Allegedly Posed as CIA, FBI, and DEA in Single Traffic Stop

METHOD ACTOR

Gregory Candea didn't tell the truth about his work history, but did have numerous warrants out for his arrest, authorities say.

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A man pulled over by police last week in Brook Park, Ohio, claimed to be, variously, a CIA officer, FBI agent, DEA agent, and a U.S. Treasury agent. The bizarre roadside interaction ended with his arrest on charges of impersonating a federal officer, according to a criminal complaint filed Monday in U.S. District Court. The incident unfolded shortly after 10 p.m. on May 8, when Gregory Candea allegedly activated a set of blue police lights in his Ford F350 prior to making an illegal left turn. Interest piqued, Sgt. Harold Duncan of the Brook Park PD stopped the truck and asked for Candea’s license. “Candea advised Sergeant Duncan that he was a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Agent working undercover,” says the complaint. “Sergeant Duncan asked for Candea’s CIA credentials, to which Candea, who was wearing a t-shirt bearing the CIA emblem on his left breast, instead produced a badge bearing the name Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), explaining he also works for the FBI.” Duncan then spotted a pair of handcuffs inside the vehicle, along with a Drug Enforcement Administration badge. After another officer arrived at the scene, Candea said he worked for the U.S. Treasury Department.

It turned out Candea worked for none of the four federal agencies he claimed to be a part of, but he did have multiple warrants out for his arrest, the complaint states. When cops asked Candea why he never showed up for his court cases, Candea allegedly responded, “I never go to court, I have too much authority in the United States.” A search of Candea’s car turned up a stun gun and paperwork associated with the purchase of numerous firearms and boxes of ammunition. He does not have a lawyer listed in court records.

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