By Kara Van Pelt
The Beckley Register-Herald
BECKLEY, W. Va. — A Beckley man was arrested Thursday after Beckley Police said he impersonated an FBI agent on two separate occasions last week.
Obed L. Jipmou, 23, of Quarry Street, is facing two counts of impersonating a police officer after a victim alerted authorities to his suspicious nature, Capt. Jeff Shumate explained.
On July 23, the first incident took place at a local convenience store, Shumate reported, where Jipmou allegedly approached a customer, identified himself as an FBI agent and asked the victim for sensitive, personal information such as her Social Security number and date of birth.
Jipmou was displaying a badge he had obtained from the Internet and had a holster on his hip containing what appeared to be a firearm, when he approached the customer, Shumate added.
Because of the suspicious nature of the incident, the victim questioned Jipmou’s request and after receiving a vague explanation, complied and provided Jipmou with the requested information.
Thursday, police were contacted by a resident on Woodlawn Avenue who reported a man claiming to be an FBI agent was searching her home, police explained.
The second victim told police that Jipmou came to her home and informed her he was conducting an investigation into recent robberies that had taken place in the area. Because the woman’s small children were in the home with her, Jipmou allegedly requested she send the children outside so he could speak to her privately inside the home, Shumate said.
Police said Jipmou proceeded to inform the homeowner he needed to conduct a search of her residence, and as he was in the process of doing so, the victim contacted police who arrived on the scene while the suspect was still inside the home.
The fake FBI badge, the holster and firearm - which turned out to be a BB gun - were recovered by police after arriving on the scene; Jipmou was subsequently arrested for impersonating a police officer.
The charges leveled against Jipmou are misdemeanor offenses, Shumate said, and if convicted, the sentence does not require jail time. If convicted, Jipmou could receive a fine of no less than $100 and not exceeding $1,000 for each count.
“We will continue to investigate these incidents in an attempt to determine what Jipmou’s motive was for the information he was requesting,” Shumate said.
“I think there are numerous things he could have done with that information, but we are unsure at this time why he was obtaining this information. Depending on the findings of this ongoing investigation, additional charges against Jipmou are possible.”
Shumate offered a few tips to safeguard oneself against similar crimes.
“A law enforcement officer in uniform can easily be identified as such, especially when they are in a marked police car.
“However, there are officers who work undercover, drive unmarked cars and dress in street clothes, so if you encounter one of those officers, you can always request to see identification. All agencies give their officers IDs that clearly state specifically what agency that officer works for,” he explained.
“In this case, it’s very obvious if you saw the subject, that he probably was not a law enforcement officer. If you should find yourself in a similar situation, it is in your best interest to confirm their legitimacy,” he concluded.
Shumate asked any other victims of similar crimes, or if anyone had been approached by Jipmou presenting himself as an FBI agent, to contact Beckley Police at 304-256-1708 or Crime Stoppers at 304-255-7867.
Jipmou was released after posting $500 bond.
Copyright 2012 Charleston Newspapers