A man charged with impersonating a public official in Greene County in 2015 was arrested in Ames Wednesday and charged with three counts of impersonating a public official and unauthorized use of emergency lights. KCCI TV reports that 27-year-old Richard Stinson was taken into custody after an investigation into a traffic stop in November in which Stinson said he had the emergency lights on his vehicle because he was a firefighter. Authorities later determined this claim to be false. A search of Stinson’s vehicle also revealed a Sheriff’s hat and the Ames Police Department believes he has had encounters with numerous other individuals. On Tuesday, Jan. 3, the Jefferson Police Department had received a complaint from a resident who had been pulled over by a suspicious unmarked vehicle with grill lights and a gentleman wearing a badge around his neck. It is not known if these incidents are related, but the Ames Police Department is asking anyone who believes they may have been approached by Stinson acting as a law enforcement or fire official to contact their department at 515-239-5133.
