Real deputies arrest deputy impersonator

By Wayne K. Roustan

POMPANO BEACH — Carlwell Wilson is accused of making a traffic stop, flashing a badge and threatening to arrest a woman for “suspicious activity,” and has been arrested for posing as a deputy, the Broward Sheriff ’s Office said.

The 58-year-old Deerfield Beach man was in a dark blue Dodge Caravan when he followed the woman’s vehicle behind the South Florida Bible College in the 2200 block of Southwest 10th Street in Deerfield Beach, investigators said.

According to the arrest report, Wilson approached the woman about 9:30 a.m. Jan. 27 and said he was a Broward Sheriff’s deputy, “conducting an area check for any suspicious activity.”

Wilson asked her name and said he could arrest her but he didn’t want to. He was wearing what looked like a white shirt with a police emblem and said he was patrolling the area because he “cared about this place,” the report stated. Wilson then left the area.

A real deputy was able to identify Wilson as a suspect and the woman picked Wilson from a photographic line up. She told investigators that she thought Wilson was a real deputy and felt she could not leave to go to work. The woman’s name was not disclosed.

After a three-day search, Wilson was arrested Jan. 30 in Pompano Beach. He is facing charges that include impersonating a law enforcement officer and false imprisonment. He is being held in the Broward County Jail on a $300,000 bond, records show.

Wayne K. Roustan can be reached at wkroustan@ sunsentinel.com or 561379-6119 or on Twitter @ WayneRoustan