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Deputy impersonation, Germantown man charged
A Germantown man is accused of impersonating a Washington County deputy, the sheriff's office announced Tuesday.
GERMANTOWN, Wis. - A Germantown man is accused of impersonating a Washington County deputy, the sheriff's office announced Tuesday.
Court records show 35-year-old Daniel Anderson is charged with two felonies and four misdemeanors. His cash bond was set at $15,000.
An investigation started after a victim came forward and said someone texted her claiming to be a deputy, the sheriff's office said. The victim said the person offered to help her "rid legal charges" in exchange for sex acts and explicit photos.
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"He really took advantage, or tried to take advantage of people in vulnerable situations," said Lt. Tim Kemps with the sheriff's office.
According to the sheriff's office, Anderson told the victim he could remove pending criminal charges from a computer system. Investigators later posed as the victim while working to identify Anderson after he sent a photograph of himself in what he claimed was his uniform.
"Shortly after her arrest, she started receiving suspicious text messages from someone claiming to be one of the deputies that night that was involved in her instance," said Kemps.
Through the investigation, the sheriff's office said it learned Anderson had contacted other victims. In one case, authorities said Anderson tried to get photos from another victim by posing as her husband's divorce attorney.
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"He’s indicating he tried this a handful of times over the past year," said Kemps.
Anderson worked as a tow truck driver, the sheriff's office said, and identified two victims from towing their vehicles after law enforcement requested tow services. Investigators worked in conjunction with that towing service – Homer's Towing – throughout its investigation, and the towing service was fully cooperative.
Washington County Jail
"He’s exploiting that trust and that relationship," Kemps said.
No other victims have been identified at this time. Anyone who received suspicious texts after a tow is asked to call 262-335-4846 or email tim.kemps@washcowisco.gov.
FOX6 News reached out to Homer's Towing for comment on Wednesday. They declined an interview.