'Fake' Police Officer With Loaded Handgun Arraigned on Indictment: DA

MONTAUK, NY — A Brooklyn man who pretended to be a police officer and was found with a loaded handgun in Montauk was arraigned on a five-count indictment Friday, Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota said.

According to Spota, Krishna Parihar, 24, was arraigned on a five count indictment and charged with impersonating a police officer and second degree criminal possession of a weapon. He pleaded not guilty, Spota said.

Parihar was stopped by East Hampton Town police on Montauk Highway in Montauk in September after a 911 caller alerted police that he was driving a Dodge Charger with red and white flashing lights and forcing motorists from the roadway, police said.

During the traffic stop near Upland Road, a loaded 9mm handgun was recovered from the driver's seat floor of the vehicle, and two loaded large capacity magazines were found in the passenger compartment, police said.

Parihar was wearing an empty holster on his belt and showed the police officer a badge, stating he was a member of the New York City Police Department, Spota said. It was determined that the badge was fake and the defendant was not a police officer, Spota said.

Red and white emergency flashing lights, handcuffs, and handcuff keys were also recovered from Parihar's 2015 Dodge Charger, which was registered in North Carolina, police said.

Parihar, a cell phone sales representative and part-time student, was charged with second degree criminal possession of a weapon, a felony, first degree criminal impersonation, a felony, and unlawful possession of certain ammunition feeding devices, a misdemeanor, police said.

He was arraigned in front of Justice Martin Efman and bail was set at $50,000, Spota said.

Parihar's next court date is Feb. 28.