Man sentenced for impersonating cop to bypass courthouse security

A 63-year-old man who claimed he was a public safety official to bypass security at the Riverside Hall of Justice was sentenced today to three years probation and 100 hours of community service.

James Steven Davis of Maywood was convicted last week of impersonating a peace officer, impersonating a fireman and exhibiting a fake badge for the purpose of posing as a law enforcement official — all misdemeanors.

Davis represented himself during his three-day trial in the same courthouse where he was arrested.

According to Riverside County Sheriff’s Sgt. Sam Flores, on the afternoon of Nov. 4, 2015, Davis entered the Hall of Justice, hurrying past private security guards staffing the metal detectors, identifying himself as a police officer.

The guards were immediately suspicious and asked the defendant to wait, summoning deputies to inspect his ID cards and badges — “all of which were determined to be fraudulent,” Flores said.

He said that deputies learned Davis had been previously arrested for allegedly impersonating a federal law enforcement official, prompting them to obtain a search warrant from the duty judge and access the defendant’s vehicle, parked nearby on Main Street.

According to Flores, a replica handgun was located in the car, as well as ”authentic protective apparel commonly utilized by firefighters.”

Davis was booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center across the street but was released a couple hours later after posting bail.

It was unclear why Davis was in the courthouse in the first place, as he had no cases pending at the time.