Oops! Phony Cop Pulls Over 2 Detectives

A Lehigh Acres man faces a May date with a Lee County judge after deputies there say he pulled over two detectives in an unmarked vehicle on Saturday.

The problem with John Arthur Benedict’s traffic stop, Lee County deputies say, is that he’s not a law enforcement officer. Lee County Jail records indicate Benedict, 69, now faces a felony count of impersonating a law enforcement officer and a misdemeanor count of unlawful use of a police insignia on his vehicle.

Benedict posted $6,500 bond on Sunday to get out of Lee County’s jail, records indicate, but he’s set for a trial date with a judge on May 11.

The case against Benedict unfolded when two Lee County Sheriff’s Office detectives were riding in an unmarked SUV on Palm Beach Boulevard in Fort Myers Saturday, NBC reported. The two spotted a Crown Victoria behind them with its lights activated.

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Believing the Crown Vic to be legit, the two pulled over, the network reported. The detectives, however, noticed the vehicle wasn’t an actual police cruiser. Its driver opted against completing his pullover and drove into a nearby parking lot instead.

That’s when the detectives sprang into action. They held Benedict until other law enforcement could arrive to make the arrest, NBC noted.

Benedict isn’t the only Florida resident accused of impersonating law enforcement. Back in September, a Bradenton motorist was pulled over by a phony cop. In June, an Ohio man got busted when he pulled over an officer in St. Johns County.

Booking photo courtesy of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office

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