Case widens in police impersonation inquiry Lawsuit promised after man diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia was arrested. -- Discussion for those who have been harassed by CMF

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Date Posted: 18:04:08 02/23/03 Sun
Author: They are everywhere!!!! Quick sound the alarm!!
Subject: Case widens in police impersonation inquiry Lawsuit promised after man diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia was arrested.
In reply to: God help us if there are more ! 's message, "Hey, does this sound like anyone we know????" on 19:35:30 02/20/03 Thu

Lawsuit promised after man diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia was arrested.

By Elizabeth Zach/Staff Writer

A South Bay man arrested in May for allegedly impersonating a Solano County sheriff's officer is asking a court today to dismiss the case against him.

Steven Nemec, 26, will be in Solano County Superior Court in Vallejo today because his attorney, Dan Healy, is requesting the case be dismissed.

But Nemec's troubles have only just begun, according to the attorney prosecuting the case.

"There's still a lot being investigated out there," said Deputy District Attorney Jeff Kauffman in Vallejo. "He was on the loose for a long time out there. There are a number of counts we feel he is able to be charged with, and this is a bigger case than what we have now.''

In the meantime, Healy said he is frustrated with not knowing exactly what charges he must defend his client against. ''I just don't have a handle on this. The DA has come forward with very little. It's like they are huddling in the back room or something.''

According to Kauffman, Nemec has a history of impersonating state and federal peace officers. He was arrested in 1994 for posing as a federal marshal and possessing a firearm.

''This man is a felon,'' said Kauffman. ''I can't tell you how many counts we'll bring against him."

Meanwhile, the family of a mentally ill man who Nemec arrested said it is on the verge of suing Nemec, as well as the Solano County Sheriff's Department.

In May, Nemec allegedly arrested 34-year-old Robert Bass, who is reportedly diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. Nemec posed as a sheriff's officer while making several trips to the Solano County Sheriff's warrants desk. Showing a badge and a fake identification, he obtained a valid arrest warrant and subsequently arrested Bass.

Clerks at the desk, who deal with many officers every day, did not check the validity of Nemec's badge.

Bass, it turned out, was the wrong man, and he doesn't match the physical description of the Robert Bass actually sought by the Sheriff's Department.

According to John Burris, the Oakland attorney retained by Bass' family, the Solano County Sheriff's Department made matters worse when Bass' relatives called authorities trying to locate him. They were told Bass was not in custody, when in fact he was in the county jail in Fairfield.

Sheriff's officials said they will review security at the warrants desk.

Healy said half of the warrants were signed by judges in Fairfield and that Bass' case is just one of several against Nemec.

"I'd say Mr. Nemec probably had a higher success rate, with lower costs, and a total lack of violence than any other arresting agency around here when it came to serving warrants,'' said Healy.

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Replies:

Gee whiz, Mr. Wilson, what's wrong with him ?? (NT) -- Dennis the Menace, 17:46:09 02/24/03 Mon