A man identifying himself as “Captain America” has been charged with trying to take a firearm onto MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, in violation of federal law.
On Nov. 3, Baruch Roche II, 33, pulled up to a security checkpoint for MacDill, but refused to provide identification, according to the Department of Justice indictment.
Roche told the Air Force security guard that he was an active member of the United States Southern Command and had a meeting with the “SOCOM General” to provide “top secret information.”
“These statements were false,” the indictment said.
Roche only identified himself as “Captain America.”
Armed Tampa man calls himself ‘Captain America’ while demanding entry into MacDill AFB: Officials https://t.co/UE1iTcTOIW
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The man “continuously reached inside a bag within the passenger side of his vehicle” and “became argumentative and demanded that he be allowed on base.”
When security personnel would not allow him on the base, “Roche threatened to come back every day and look for the officers denying him entry,” according to the indictment.
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Eventually, he did provide the guards with a retired military identification card, thereby revealing his actual name.
Because of his suspicious behavior, security guards detained Roche outside his vehicle and began to search it, after he gave his consent.
The man told the gate guards he had a gun in the trunk of his car, which turned out to be a Colt AR-15 rifle, with five loaded magazines holding a total of about 125 rounds.
Air Force security called the Tampa Bay Police, who then took Roche into custody.
“Due to his extreme state of paranoia and psychosis, and possible threat to cause harm to USAF security personnel, the TPD Behavior Health Unit determined that Roche met the criteria for [involuntary] hospitalization,” the indictment said.
Federal prosecutors charged Roche with attempting to bring a firearm into a federal facility.
If convicted, he faces up to one year in prison, according to a DOJ news release.
Roche is required to forfeit the AR-15 and the ammunition.
About 6,600 active-duty military and civilian personnel work on MacDill.
Major units stationed there include U.S. Central Command, which is responsible for the Middle East and Central Asia, as well as United States Special Operations Command.
