Men refusing to wear masks at South Florida hotel are arrested after pretending to be marshals, officials say

Two men who authorities say pretended to be officials with the U.S. Marshals Service when they were asked to wear masks were arrested last week at a Deerfield Beach hotel, according to a federal complaint.

Walter Wayne Brown Jr., 53, and Gary Brummett,

81, were arrested Feb. 11 after police say they threatened to arrest staff at the Wyndham Deerfield Beach Resort when hotel employees asked them repeatedly to wear masks, as part of the resort’s policy.

They were both wearing fake badges around their belts that appeared “authentic,” with a sevenpoint star that read “Cherokee Nation Marshal,” according to the federal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

The document shows that Brown and Brummett were also wearing laminated cards that claimed they were exempted from wearing masks because of an alleged medical condition that they did not have to disclose because of the

THE TWO THREATENED TO ARREST STAFF AT THE WYNDHAM DEERFIELD BEACH RESORT WHEN EMPLOYEES

ASKED THEM REPEATEDLY TO WEAR MASKS, POLICE SAY.

American Disabilities Act.

The hotel’s assistant front-office manager told deputies from the Broward Sheriff’s Office that Brummett said forcing him to wear a mask could make the resort liable for $75,000.

“Do you know what this means?” Brummett asked the manager, pointing to the badge on his belt. “I’m a U.S. marshal and can have you arrested if you force me to wear a mask.”

The front-desk manager said her cousin was an official with the federal law-enforcement agency and “would not conduct themselves in that manner.”

Federal authorities say a personnel check confirmed neither man had ever been employed by the U.S. Marshals Service or the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, which is headquartered in North Carolina and Oklahoma. The badges they were wearing were fake, officials say.

Authorities say Brown was with his son, who agreed to wear a mask. But Brown told a different manager that he would not be wearing a mask because he was medically exempt. He also threatened to have the hotel employee arrested if he was forced to wear a mask.

Both men were taken to the Joseph V. Conte jail in Pompano Beach, according to BSO records. Brown was still jailed Friday. Brummett’s status was unknown.

A 30-year-old Pinellas County Sheriff’s deputy was killed while trying to help stop a drunken driver who was leading authorities on a high-speed chase, police say.

Deputy Michael Magli had stopped his patrol car in the median on Wednesday to deploy stop sticks used to puncture tires when he was struck by the truck that deputies were chasing, Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said during a news conference.

Gualtieri told reporters that Robert Allen Holzaepfel, 33, was driving under the influence and on a suspended license when he hit Magli.

Holzaepfel was arrested Wednesday night and charged with first-degree felony murder, DUI manslaughter, driving without a valid license resulting in death and aggravated fleeing and eluding law enforcement, the sheriff said. He was on probation and has 16 prior felony convictions, Gualtieri added.

The chase began Wednesday afternoon, shortly after an East Lake Fire Rescue crew responded to a call about someone passed out at the wheel at a red light, Gualtieri said.

The crew broke a window, which woke up Holzaepfel, who then sped away in what the sheriff described as “extremely reckless and very dangerous.”

“He needed to be stopped or he was going to hurt someone else,” the sheriff said. “The safest way to do it was to deflate the tires and not endanger anyone else.”

A short time later, Holzaepfel’s truck slammed into Magli, who was outside of his cruiser. The truck spun into the median, trapping the deputy under tge vehicle, the sheriff said.

“Deputy Magli was trying to protect people,” Gualtieri said. “He stepped up like cops do and tried to keep people from being hurt and lost his life in the process.”

Magli was married and had two children.

A lawyer for Holzaepfel was not listed on jail records.