Maryland State Police say a 19-year-old posed as one of their officers and made fake traffic stops.
The agency said Jayden Ballard of Salisbury was served a criminal summons in February and was charged with impersonating a police officer and unlawful taking of a motor vehicle.
“The Maryland State Police received information alleging that Ballard had gained access to a marked Maryland State Police vehicle,” according to police.
“Investigators believe he was operating the patrol vehicle while wearing a Maryland State Police uniform throughout Wicomico County and conducting unlawful traffic stops,” authorities added.
The photos purportedly show Ballard wearing a beige uniform with a radio attached to his chest.
A Maryland State Police spokesperson told WJLA that how Ballard gained access to the uniform and police cruiser is “part of the investigation.”
“Police are asking anyone who may have interacted with Ballard while he was impersonating a Maryland State Trooper, to contact the Maryland State Police Criminal Enforcement Division,” State Police also said in a statement.
Ballard’s trial is currently scheduled to begin September 24, according to online court records.
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