Man, 51, is arrested for donning a bullet proof vest and pretending to be a police officer in order to intimidate a subcontractor who had put a lien on his new Florida home over an unpaid bill
- Todd Gieger, 51, became embroiled in a dispute with a subcontractor over payments on a new waterfront home he was having built in Saratosa Bay
- In November, Gieger allegedly tried to intimidate the subcontractor by dressing up as a law enforcement officer and quizzing neighbors about him
- He is also accused of posing as a police officer whilst calling other subcontractors and the construction company building his home
- Gieger has been arrested and is facingtwo counts of false impersonation of a law enforcement officer
Todd Gieger, 51, is facing two counts of false impersonation of a law enforcement officer after he allegedly wore a police badge and bullet proof vest to intimidate a subcontractor working on his home
A man has been arrested for dressing up as a police officer in order to intimidate a subcontractor who had put a lien on his new Florida home.
Todd Gieger, 51, was taken in to custody in Sarasota County on Wednesday, and is now facing two counts of false impersonation of a law enforcement officer.
According to an arrest report, Gieger and the subcontractor had become embroiled in a dispute over payment for work done on Gieger’s new waterfront home on St. Armands Key – an island in Sarasota Bay.
Back in November, Gieger allegedly arrived at the subcontractor’s home in a white Maserati wearing a bullet proof vest and a ‘law-enforcement style badge’.
He reportedly began asking neighbors about the subcontractor, and identified himself as ‘The Sheriff’.
The Tampa Bay Times reports that Gieger is also accused of ‘calling other subcontractors involved in the lien and the construction company building his home’ while pretending to be a police officer.
Gieger became embroiled in a dispute over payment for work done on his new waterfront home on St. Armands Key – an island in Sarasota Bay (pictured)
Speaking on Thursday, authorities praised savvy Saratosa citizens who detected that Gieger was not a real officer and called 911.
‘In today’s world, it is more crucial than ever for communities to know and trust their law enforcement,’ Sarasota Sheriff Tom Knight told the Tampa Bay Times.
‘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.’
The crime of Falsely Impersonating an Officer is a Third Felony in Florida and is punishable by up to five years in prison, five years of probation , and a $5,000 fine.
Gieger is free after posting $3,000 bond, and is due in court at a later date.
Gieger is pictured being taken into custody in Saratosa County on Wednesay. He later posted $3000 bond and is due to appear in court at a later date