Authorities: Men Posed As US Marshals To Avoid Wearing Masks At South Florida Hotel
MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- Two men have been arrested by the very law enforcement agency they were allegedly pretending to be. It was all apparently an elaborate act to get out of wearing face masks.
Gary Brummett, 81, and Walter Brown, 53, are both charged with impersonation of a federal law enforcement officer.
According to the criminal complaint, on February 11, the Broward Sheriffs Office responded to the Wyndham Hotel in Deerfield Beach in reference to two men who were claiming to be U.S. Marshals.
Responding deputies say they were wearing authentic-looking badges that said "Cherokee Nation Marshal."
They also wore laminated cards around their necks, saying they were exempt from wearing masks in public. The cards cited the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The report says Brummett and Brown both checked in on February 9. They were confronted about their lack of masks, but they referenced their cards and the front desk proceeded checking them in.
The next day, the manager spoke to them again about wearing masks when walking around the hotel.
The complaint says Brummett showed his fake badge and said "I'm a U.S. Marshal. I can have you arrested if you force me to wear a mask." He also threatened the hotel with a $75,000 fine.
Hotel staff got law enforcement involved on the 11th, who, after questioning, determined it was all an elaborate hoax.
The complaint says neither Brown nor Brummett have ever been Marshals or employed in any way by the Department of Justice.
The Cherokee Nation Marshal service, based in Oklahoma, confirmed their badges were not authentic.
Brown and Brummett are due in Broward Court this Friday at 11 a.m.