A man has been charged with impersonating a federal agent in a criminal complaint that alleges he posed as a member of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), conning a woman into believing she was training to be an officer with the department.
The alleged offender, named as Robert Edward Golden, was spotted with the woman by a Portland police sergeant, with body armor that had the words ‘DEA Police’ written across it in his car trunk. When questioned, the victim showed the officer a badge and credentials claiming to be a DEA agent, according to court documents.
Having a look at the vehicle, the sergeant then saw another body armor plate, handcuffs, and a tactical vest, the complaint claims. A later examination uncovered an “AR-15 style rifle” that turned out to be a BB gun.
The woman told police that she was currently studying criminal justice and had been “training” with the man for roughly a year to become a DEA agent. Golden reportedly convinced her with credentials and took her to practice her shooting.
As part of his alleged activities with the woman, Golden took her to speak and develop working relationships with homeless individuals to obtain confidential information, in the event that he was “no longer around to take care of her.”
In his defense, Golden claimed he and the woman were “into cosplay” and carried the fake DEA items as it “provided them protection” around their apartment building. He claims to have obtained “fake DEA badges and credentials from various websites online.”
A public defender did not provide any public comment on the situation, as they have a policy of not discussing ongoing cases. Court records currently do not show Golden having entered a plea, but he was released on Friday after an appearance in front of a judge.