6 Suspects Caught 'Pretending' to Be Someone They're Not

Alexis Rosati, 41, was arrested in Port Orange, Florida, after leaving a fake citation on a car parked in a law enforcement courtesy spot at Walmart. When confronted, she flashed a badge belonging to her retired uncle, James Barkel, from the Belleview Police Department. Police later found two badges and ID assigned to Barkel in her possession and his car, concluding he was unaware due to his mental decline. Rosati pleaded no contest, receiving two years probation and fines.

Rosati left a note on a car, then flashed a badge. Police found two badges and ID belonging to her retired uncle. She was charged with impersonating a police officer.

Taequin Sheriff Panellis was caught on camera at a Walmart in Leburg, Florida, swapping his old shoes for a new pair and attempting to leave without paying. When confronted by police, he provided his brother's name, Taan Penellis, and birth date. However, discrepancies in the photo on file and his tattoos led officers to confirm his true identity. Taequin had a prior trespass warning from that Walmart and was arrested for retail theft and obstruction.

Walmart loss prevention observed Panellis swapping shoes. He gave his brother's name and birth date. Dispatch confirmed his true identity, Taequin, via tattoos and prior trespass records.

Scott Pearson, a former Park Ridge police officer, was pulled over in Arlington Heights, Illinois, for expired registration. During the stop, a deputy noticed a police badge in his wallet. Pearson initially claimed to work for Park Ridge, then corrected to past tense. Further investigation revealed he had been inactive for nearly a year and his SUV contained actively working police lights he had installed. He was charged with impersonating a police officer.

Pearson was stopped for expired tags. A deputy saw a police badge in his wallet. Park Ridge PD confirmed his termination. His vehicle had working police lights.

Autumn Bardisa, 29, worked as a registered nurse at Advent Health in Palm Coast, Florida, for seven months without a valid license, treating approximately 4,486 patients. She obtained the position by providing a license number belonging to another nurse named Autumn and claiming a recent marriage explained the name discrepancy. Her deception was uncovered when she was offered a promotion to charge nurse, prompting a colleague to check her license status, revealing only an expired certified nursing assistant license. Bardisa pleaded guilty to identity theft and practicing without a license, receiving five years probation and a ban from the medical field.

Bardisa used another nurse's license. She treated 4,486 patients. A promotion triggered a license check, revealing her fraud. She was sentenced to five years probation.

Michael Scalletits, 49, a convicted felon from Washington State, was accused of impersonating a SWAT officer. He appeared at active crime scenes in an unmarked SUV with flashing blue lights, wearing body armor with police and SWAT patches, carrying a metallic badge and a loaded gun. He claimed to be an off-duty Edmonds detective with a long career history. Officers grew suspicious due to inconsistencies (e.g., flashlight position, non-standard body camera) and later confirmed he was not employed by Edmonds PD, had a felony bomb hoax conviction, and no valid driver's license. He was charged with first-degree criminal impersonation and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Scalletits arrived at crime scenes in tactical gear. He claimed to be an Edmonds detective. Police found he was a convicted felon, not employed by Edmonds PD, and had a loaded firearm.

Shelby Huitt, a 30-year-old social worker, enrolled in at least three Boston public high schools between 2022 and 2023, posing as a 16-year-old foster kid named Daniela Herrera, and later as a 13-year-old under a different name. She joined a basketball team and befriended actual teenagers, all while collecting her $54,000 social worker salary. Her deception was exposed when a man claiming to be her father tried to withdraw her from school due to bullying, prompting administrators to check her paperwork and discover fake social worker contacts. Students had also found her real yearbook photo from 15 years prior. Huitt pleaded guilty to forgery, fraud, and violating public employee conduct standards, receiving four years probation and restitution.

Huitt enrolled in high schools as a teenager. She played on a basketball team. School administrators found errors in her enrollment paperwork. Students found her old yearbook photo. She was a DCF social worker concurrently.