A suspected serial cop impersonator has been collared by real detectives after two bizarre downtown robberies.
Prosecutors said Anthony T. Burney, 32, of Lynn approached his victims claiming to be an undercover detective, frisked them and stole hundreds of dollars.
“Bizarre as these incidents may seem, they show that certain individuals will exploit people’s trust in law enforcement,” Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said. “Fortunately, none of these victims were hurt.”
On Nov. 2, Burney allegedly approached a 22-year-old Walpole man near West and Mason streets, identified himself as “Detective Johnson,” then frisked the man and swiped more than $200 before fleeing into the Common.
The next night, Burney allegedly posed as a cop again and “caught” five men drinking near Ipswich Street and Charlesgate East.
He warned the men they could be in trouble for drinking in public before demanding their wallets, confiscating their cell phones and stealing about $350 in cash, prosecutors said. “I don’t want to bust your (expletive),” Burney allegedly said, “So just cooperate and I’ll see what I can do.”
Burney then ordered the five men to spread their legs and stand against the wall, they later told police.
Then Burney allegedly forced them to board a Green Line trolley to Boylston Street station, where he returned their cell phones and fled, explaining: “I have to go run some license plates.”
Burney was arrested late Tuesday after several victims picked his photograph out of arrays presented to them by Hub detectives.
He was arraigned yesterday at Boston Municipal Court on charges including unarmed robbery, impersonating a police officer and kidnapping. He was held on a total of $31,000 cash bail.
Burney also was charged with the Oct. 3 theft of a number of shirts from the Newbury Street Niketown store, valued at about $1,500.
ma police, boston ma police, massachusetts police, massachusetts police, mass state police, mass police, ma, mass, massachusetts, massachusetts, massachutes, massachusetts law, massachusetts polece, police, officer, police officer, cops, police gear, law enforcement, police duty gear, state police, sheriff, law, police supply, police agency directory, police agency, police department, traffic officer, police dept, state trooper, dispatcher, massachusetts county sheriff, massachusetts sheriff, massachusetts department of corrections, ma doc, doc, dept of corrections, police information, civil service, ma civil service, massachusetts crime, police training, police academy, ma police academy, massachusetts officers, masscop, masscops, mpa, bpa, ibpoa, police association, massachusetts police news, massachusetts crime news, mass most wanted, police career information, police patrol, police administration, police books, crime scene training, police discussion, crime discussions, cops
About MassCops, the home for Massachusetts law enforcement.
The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network opened in 1998 and is now a part of the New England Police Network The site is a pro-police discussion forum intended for sworn police officers and civilian law enforcement officials as well as those interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement here in Massachusetts.
The goal of The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network is to provide an informal network of law enforcement officials here in Massachusetts for educational and informational purposes.
The forum covers many topics such as Police Related News Articles, Agency & Profession Discussions, Police Training as well as Law Enforcement Career Information.
The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network and The New England Police Network (NEPN) and it's network sites are privately owned websites/domains and are not affiliated with or endorsed by any government association or agency.
MassCops (masscops.com) and (masscop.com) are privately owned are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Massachusetts Coalition of Police (masscop.org)
ma police, boston ma police, massachusetts police, massachusetts police, mass state police, mass police, ma, mass, massachusetts, massachusetts, massachutes, massachusetts law, massachusetts polece, police, officer, police officer, cops, police gear, law enforcement, police duty gear, state police, sheriff, law, police supply, police agency directory, police agency, police department, traffic officer, police dept, state trooper, dispatcher, massachusetts county sheriff, massachusetts sheriff, massachusetts department of corrections, ma doc, doc, dept of corrections, police information, civil service, ma civil service, massachusetts crime, police training, police academy, ma police academy, massachusetts officers, masscop, masscops, mpa, bpa, ibpoa, police association, massachusetts police news, massachusetts crime news, mass most wanted, police career information, police patrol, police administration, police books, crime scene training, police discussion, crime discussions, cops