| id | cleanReleaseDate | troopName | title |
| 5812 | 2017-04-20 | Troop G | Door to Door Salesman Arrested For Fruadulently Claiming to Be a Trooper |
TROOP G NEWS RELEASE April 20, 2017 Door to Door Salesman Arrested For Fraudulently Claiming to Be a Trooper Bossier City-On April 13, 2017, Louisiana State Police Troop G received a complaint from a Shreveport business owner that a man came by his business and was impersonating a Louisiana State Trooper. After receiving the complaint, Louisiana State Police Detectives immediately launched an investigation that later led to the arrest of 47-year-old Lester Wells of Shreveport for fraudulent portrayal of a law enforcement officer. On April 17, 2017, detectives followed up on the complaint and found that Wells was a traveling steak salesman and on multiple occasions had identified himself as a Louisiana State Trooper to his customers. In doing so, Wells had received free auto parts, law enforcement discounts, and on one occasion was given a substantial amount of money because of his believed position as a State Trooper. After discovering this information, LSP detectives obtained a warrant for Wells’ arrest. Later that same day, Wells was going to make what he thought to be a “routine sells call” to a potential new customer, which was located at the Louisiana State Police Criminal Investigations Office in Bossier, City. When Wells arrived at the CID office, he was immediately taken into custody by Troop G Troopers and detectives. During a post Miranda interview Wells stated that he often represented himself as a Louisiana State Trooper. According to Wells, this status helped his business and gave him access that he would not normally have. At the completion of the interview, Wells was transported to the Bossier Parish Jail, booked on the charge of fraudulent portrayal of a law enforcement officer, and he is awaiting extradition to Caddo Parish. The crime of fraudulently portraying yourself as a law enforcement officer is a felony in the state of Louisiana and is taken very seriously. Troopers will continue to proactive efforts to combat crimes such as this.
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