Men Charged With Posing As Border Patrol Agents

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Men Charged With Posing As Border Patrol Agents - Omaha News Story - KETV Omaha

Men Charged With Posing As Border Patrol Agents
Investigators: Vehicle Had Law Enforcement Equipment Bought On Internet
POSTED: 8:35 am CDT September 9, 2009
UPDATED: 8:55 am CDT September 9, 2009

OMAHA, Neb. -- Two men have been charged with impersonating a federal officer after investigators said they posed as U.S. Border Patrol agents.


Adam Woltjer, 33, and Darcey Young, 24, have pleaded not guilty to the charge in U.S. District Court.

A KETV NewsWatch 7 I-Team investigation found the two men even fooled their close friends.

“I would like to know, we’d all like to know, why he’d bother with such a scheme,” said a friend of Adam Woltjer who asked to remain anonymous.

The alleged scheme unraveled last Wednesday at the Ameristar Casino in Council Bluffs. According to court documents, Woltjer and Young were driving two SUVs at a high rate of speed with lights flashing. They pulled into the casino parking lot with their tires squealing. Investigators said the two flashed a border patrol badge at the parking valet who became suspicious.

The casino’s security personnel called law enforcement. Investigators said when questioned, Woltjer and Young admitted they weren’t real border patrol agents.

A court affidavit said Woltjer’s vehicle contained a U.S. Border Patrol receiver, sirens, a license plate that read “Border Patrol,” and a mobile vision camera and playback system often used by law enforcement agencies.

Investigators said they also found a videotape that showed the two driving their vehicles earlier in the evening, flashing their emergency lights and sounding a siren as motorists pulled over.

All of the equipment was bought on the Internet by Woltjer, investigators said.

Woltjer’s friend said he really believed Woltjer was a border patrol agent.

“His vehicle looked like a legitimate border patrol car,” he said. “A lot of people are angry with him and you feel betrayed. He lied to us.”

Woltjer’s friend said he doesn’t know why Woltjer would create such an alter ego. He said Woltjer, who is a hotel employee, may have been trying to live out a fantasy and went too far.

KETV NewsWatch 7 spoke with Young’s father. He said his son was duped. He said Young befriended Woltjer because he truly wanted to become a border patrol agent. In fact, his father said, Young was supposed to take the employment test this week.