FHP: Accused police impersonator arrested with drugs, gun, child inside rental vehicle on I-4
SEFFNER, Fla. - A Riverview man is accused of using a rented SUV decked out like a patrol vehicle to pretend to be a law enforcement officer.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a trooper spotted Conroy Alexis Traille, 38, driving a 2023 black Cadillac SUV that was registered to Avis Rental Cars Monday afternoon on I-4 just east of I-75.
The trooper says the Cadillac seemed suspicious because it had an emergency light bar mounted in the rear window, what appeared to be a dash camera mounted on the windshield and tinted windows that were darker than the legal limit.
When the trooper inquired about the tag on the SUV, an alert popped up from April 23, 2023, that a vehicle with the same description and bearing the same tag number was possibly impersonating a law enforcement officer while displaying red and blue lights.
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The trooper pulled Traille over for following the vehicle ahead of him too closely.
According to an affidavit, after pulling Traille over, the trooper saw emergency lights mounted in the front window, a computer stand with a laptop computer on it, and other police-related accessories.
FHP patrol vehicle and the rental car allegedly being used to impersonate law enforcement courtesy of the Florida Highway Patrol.
The trooper stated that Traille was argumentative and could not provide a rental agreement, proof of insurance or registration for the vehicle, which he said he borrowed from a friend.
While standing outside the SUV, the trooper said there was a strong marijuana smell coming from the inside and there was green leafy marijuana residue in plain view of the center console.
The trooper called for backup and a K-9 deputy alerted that there were drugs in the SUV.
According to FHP, troopers found cathinone, marijuana, and oxycodone inside.
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A 9mm handgun with eight rounds of ammunition was located on the passenger seat, according to the arrest report. The trooper noted that Traille's concealed weapons permit expired in February 2023.
Troopers stated that police-style lanyards, badges that said law enforcement, and federal officer with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security seal were also found in the SUV with a police-style body camera.
Badges found inside Cadillac courtesy of the Florida Highway Patrol.
The arresting trooper says the inside of the SUV was configured like a police vehicle with lights, a computer stand with a laptop, ceiling mounted dome light, a dash camera, light switches, and a siren control panel.
When the trooper turned on the lights, they noted that the front ones were blue and the rear ones were blue and red. Under the hood, the trooper says there was a siren, while a bag of wiring and additional emergency lights were in the back of the vehicle.
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A retired FBI agent said cases like this aren’t an everyday occurrence, but if drivers think they're in one of these situations the first things to do are drive the speed limit and put on your hazard signals.
"First, drive the speed limit. Second, put on your hazards signals," retired FBI agent Richard Kolko said. "You can acknowledge that you are being pulled over with just a wave in the window. But pick up that phone, call 911, Tell the person answering exactly what's happening. Where can you go to confirm this is a police officer? Where can you safely pull over?"
Kolko said it’s also highly unlikely any federal agent – including ones with the Department of Homeland Security – would be pulling someone over.
"Unfortunately, it's kind of easy to get badges online on the internet these days," Kolko said "So it is possible a fake badge, but you are not going to be pulled over in whatever neighborhood or jurisdiction [if] it is by a police officer from a different jurisdiction."
According to an arrest report, Traille's’ daughter, who is a juvenile, and his girlfriend were in the car with him when he was pulled over and eventually arrested.
Conroy Alexis Traille mugshot courtesy of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.
The trooper says Traille was belligerent, profane, insulting, threatening, and combative while he was being arrested and taken to the Hillsborough County Jail.
Anyone that may have come in contact with Traille is asked to contact the FHP at 813-558-1800 or *FHP.