KEY LARGO, Fla. – Deputies arrested a Florida Keys man Monday, accusing him of falsely claiming to be a New York state trooper in an ill-fated effort to get his ex-girlfriend arrested.
According to a Monroe County Sheriff’s Office news release, the case began in March, when 36-year-old Claude Francis Tristram of Key Largo violated a court-ordered injunction against him to not contact his ex in any way.
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Deputies said an investigation showed Tristram called and texted the victim as well as and mailing her USB devices containing messages. The sheriff’s office said Tristram also used a caller ID-spoofing application to conceal who was actually calling.
According to the sheriff’s office, later that month, 911 operators received a call on the county’s non-emergency line from someone claiming to be an off-duty New York state trooper who reported a possible drunken driver driving recklessly.
The sheriff’s office said deputies responded and found the reported suspect vehicle and were then immediately approached by Tristram, who pulled over to help identify the vehicle. He also told them the vehicle was heading to a residence that turned out to be where his ex-girlfriend lived.
After deputies made a traffic stop, they determined Tristram’s ex-girlfriend was not impaired at all. She said she believed Tristram was behind the stop and told deputies he was harassing her, the sheriff’s office said.
“Detectives found the phone number used to call the 911 Communications Center non-emergency line to report the fake DUI was assigned to a phone application that blocks the user’s display number, allowing them to make anonymous calls,” the release states. “Detectives obtained records from the company that owns the application and it showed the phone call made to 911 came from Tristram’s account with the company. Detectives contacted New York State Police and they do not have a trooper with the name Tristram falsely provided.”
Tristram was booked into jail Monday on a charge of false impersonation of a police officer.