Maryland safety guard busted for allegedly impersonating police at mall

A Maryland safety guard “on a power trip” — his car allegedly suited with emergency lights, loaded gun, cop-style badge and hats with “police” written on them — was arrested for the ruse.

Robert Muschette Jr., 53, was nabbed Thursday throughout the parking lot on the Mall of Prince George in Hyattsville, Md., after police seen his darkish inexperienced Ford Explorer driving spherical with purple and blue emergency lights flashing.

Muschette, who lives in District Heights, claimed he labored for the “DC police,” nevertheless then admitted he was a “special officer” with a safety firm, police said.

Investigators determined that although Muschette labored for a safety firm, he wasn’t accepted to have the emergency lights on his car — or a firearm resulting from prior convictions.

“This is clearly the case of an individual who was on a power trip, who is doing nothing more than using illegitimate authority to stop people and victimize people,” Hyattsville Police Chief Jarod Towers suggested WUSA9.

When wanting his car, officers found the loaded weapon in plain view on the doorway passenger seat. Investigators moreover found throughout the car a police-style badge, a ballistic vest, ammunition, handcuffs, and two officer-style hats with “police” written on them.

Along with charges for impersonating a police officer, Muschette moreover faces 5 weapons charges, along with a felony price for firearm possession with a felon conviction.

Hyattsville police are moreover investigating Muschette’s motive, and if he’d ever had any interactions with residents whereas posing as an officer, urging anyone who may need come into contact with him to step forward.

“We take our relationship with our community seriously and we are concerned that members of the community may have interacted with Muschette Jr. while he represented himself to be a police officer,” the division wrote on Facebook.

Towers added: “We want to be able to prosecute him, and hold him accountable for any crimes he may have committed while acting as a police officer.”

Muschette was launched Friday after posting $5,000 bail, in step with courtroom docket knowledge.

He’s due once more in Prince George’s County courtroom docket April 10.