Two Men Impersonated Officers, Robbed Nassau Family Under the Guise of a Search

Two men impersonated police officers and robbed an East Meadow family under the guise of conducting a search of their home on Tuesday, police said.

According to detectives, while outside his home on Little Whaleneck Road raking leaves at 4:30 p.m., an 81-year-old man, who speaks no English, was approached by a man who was dressed in a black uniform-type shirt and black pants. The uniformed man escorted the elderly man to the rear of the yard and into the house, where they were met by the man's 49-year-old son, who speaks English.

The uniformed man told the son that he was there to search the home and asked if there were any guns, knives or drugs inside. The uniformed man then spoke into a radio, advising an additional uniformed man, who was dressed identically, to enter the home. After displaying what appeared to be a police badge, the son was then told to gather the family, including his 73-year-old mother and 43-year-old sister, and wait in the downstairs bathroom while they searched the house.

The family waited in the bathroom for 30 minutes, then exited and saw that the uniformed men had left. They also saw that $850 was stolen from the son’s wallet and $3,000 was missing from the father’s room.

The family described the two men as:

• A white male, 40 years old with short black hair, approximately 5 feet, 8 inches to 5 feet, 11 inches tall.
• A white male, also in his 40s with short dark hair.

Detectives request anyone with information regarding this incident to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS. All callers will remain anonymous.