By The Associated Press
MARTINSBURG, W.Va. (AP) -- Police have arrested a 26-year-old Gerrardstown man for impersonating an officer in two counties, among other charges.
Brian C. Kilmer was arrested by Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department deputies Thursday.
“It’s our opinion he had a private investigation and repossession business and he was trying to gain information to further his business,” said Lt. K.C. Bohrer.
Police began investigating Kilmer in July when he allegedly repossessed a vehicle from a lot owned by South Berkeley Towing without the company’s permission and without paying towing and storage fees, Bohrer said.
Deputy W.D. Christian said the owner of the vehicle had a “civil agreement” with Kilmer for him to recover the vehicle. For that incident, Kilmer is charged with driving with a revoked license and defrauding a creditor for not paying the towing and storage fees.
Bohrer also said Kilmer has “been contacting people by phone and in person displaying a badge, claiming he was an investigator trying to solicit information” and that he “represented himself as an investigator with the West Virginia Tax Department Law Enforcement Division.”
He also allegedly represented himself as a private investigator even though he does not have a state-issued investigator’s license, Bohrer said.
Other charges against Kilmer included three counts of impersonating a police officer, two counts in Berkeley County and one count in Jefferson County.
Kilmer also was charged with one count of operating a business without a business license.
All of the charges are misdemeanors. He was being held Friday in the Eastern Regional Jail in Martinsburg.
Kilmer previously was convicted for failure to have a license to drive a vehicle with emergency lights.