Guilty Plea For LI Prison Guard Who Lured Women By Impersonating Cop

RIVERSIDE, NY — A former state prison guard from Long Island caught in a sting operation launched after he was accused of pulling a woman over at the side of the road and asking her for nude photographs of herself has pleaded guilty to criminal impersonation charges.

David Olivari was arrested in February in a sting operation in Commack after he arrived at a predetermined location believing that he was meeting one of the women he had previously pulled over, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney's office said.

Between Jan. 22 and 23, Olivari 38, of Coram, used a flashing light in his personal vehicle to pull over cars driven by unaccompanied women in central Suffolk. He falsely identified himself as a police officer, had them unlock their cellphones, and asked them to hand their unlocked cellphones to him, Tierney's office said.

A woman told investigators she was driving on the Long Island Expressway service road in Ronkonkoma around 3 a.m. on Jan. 22 when she was stopped by a man driving a small, dark-colored vehicle equipped with a flashing light.

Olivari took her cellphone and accessed her personal number before he gave the device back, said police. He then contacted her and asked her to send him nude photographs of herself.

A second woman told police she was also pulled over while driving on Shenandoah Boulevard in Nesconset around 11:35 p.m. on Jan. 23, police said.

The department partnered with prosecutors and Olivari appeared for a “date” with the woman, according to Tierney's office.

Olivari repeatedly endangered drivers "by conducting traffic stops for which he had neither authority, nor training," Tierney said.

"The message here is that no one is above the law, including a corrections officer who acted so egregiously outside of his official duties in attempting to prey upon otherwise unsuspecting female motorists,” he added.

He credited investigators for their "thorough and professional investigation, and for assisting my Office in bringing this individual to justice.”

Olivari was fired by the New York State Corrections Department and Community Supervison after his arrest, according to Tierney's office.

The criminal impersonation charge is a felony punishable of up to four years in prison. Sentencing guidelines also allow for part jail time and probation, as well as a discharge with conditions set by the court.

Olivari was released on his own recognizance and is due back in court for sentencing on Sept. 5, 2023.

His attorney, Michael Brown of Central Islip, did not respond to a request for comment.

Michael DeSantis contributed additional reporting to this story.