A Michigan man was arrested Friday outside of the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., with a fake badge, a BB gun, body armor and high-capacity magazines.
Around 5 a.m., a patrol officer began speaking with a man who had parked his 2017 Dodge Challenger on the west side of the Capitol, the United States Capitol Police reported.
The man was retired New York police officer Jerome Felipe, 53, now of Flint, Michigan, NBC News reported.
When confronted by the USCP officers, he presented them with a fake badge that had “Department of the Interpol” on it.
Felipe “made a false statement that he was a criminal investigator with the agency,” USCP reported.
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When he allowed officers to search his vehicle, they found the BB gun, ammunition and high-capacity magazines.
But no real firearms were found.
The USCP posted pictures of what they found in the car on Twitter.
USCP Arrests Man with Fake Badge, Body Armor & High Capacity Magazines: https://t.co/FkFUq4UpYJ pic.twitter.com/xjfFQHQgD0
— U.S. Capitol Police (@CapitolPolice) June 3, 2022
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It is still unclear why Felipe was parked near the Capitol.
But he was arrested and is now facing charges for unlawful possession of high-capacity magazines and unregistered ammunition.
High-capacity magazines and unregistered ammunition are illegal in Washington.
“A ‘large capacity ammunition feeding device’ means a magazine, belt, drum, feed strip, or similar device that has a capacity of, or that can be readily restored or converted to accept, more than 10 rounds of ammunition,” the Metro Police of D.C. outlines.
In order to possess ammunition, someone must either be an officer, a licensed dealer or have a “valid registration certificate for a firearm,” according to the Council of the District of Columbia.
