Several contractors had placed a lien on 51-year-old Todd Geiger’s new home.
A New Jersey man was arrested last week for impersonating a sheriff in an attempt to intimidate contractors who were working on his new home.
Several contractors had placed a lien on 51-year-old Todd Geiger’s new home being built in Sarasota County, Florida, for non-payment.
Donning a black bulletproof vest and a police-style badge, Geiger drove to a contractor’s home asking neighbors for information about the contractor, while identifying himself as “the Sheriff,” according to a court affidavit.
Geiger also called other contractors and a construction company involved with the lien, the sheriff’s office’s statement said.
Neighbors grew suspicious since Geiger was driving a white Maserati with New Jersey plates, reported Sarasota ABC News affiliate, WWSB.
“Sheriffs are not driving around in Maseratis with New Jersey license plates,” said Lt. Jason Mruczek in WWSB’s report.
Geiger was in dispute with the contractors over $33,000 of work done on his home, a condo, reported WWSB.
Facing two counts of false impersonation of law enforcement, Geiger was released from the Sarasota County Jail on a $3,000 bond.
“In today’s world, it is more crucial than ever for communities to know and trust their law enforcement,” Sheriff Tom Knight commented on the agency’s website. “Lucky for us, our residents are smart and in this incident, they knew something wasn’t right. Credit goes to both cognizant witnesses and great detectives for getting this guy off our streets and out of our community.”
