A 48-year-old man accused of twice impersonating a police officer by flashing a fake badge and a holstered handgun to score discounts at Dunkin' Donuts has been charged.
Charles Barry admitted he 'did a stupid thing' when police caught him trying to pass himself off as a United States Marshal at a Trinity, Florida, drive-thru yesterday.
Pasco County deputies claim Barry pulled the foolish stunt on November 6 and 7.
The first time, the imaging firm salesman displayed a sheriff’s star badge and identified himself as a law enforcement official to the cashier.
When the worker refused the discount, Barry allegedly held up a firearm in a holster and said, 'See I am a cop!'
The suspicious employee told their manager about the encounter, who then reported Barry to police.
When Barry did the same thing the next day, the manager took down Barry's license plate number from surveillance video.
ABC 7 reported surveillance was set up at Dunkin' Donuts yesterday and a Pasco Sheriff's Office stopped Barry as he drove away from the outlet.
Barry was allegedly carrying a law enforcement badge in his wallet and a .38 caliber revolver in his front pocket.
'I did a stupid thing! I showed a badge to get the law enforcement discount of my food,' Barry told investigators, according to The Smoking Gun.
While Barry had a permit to carry a gun, the badge belonged to his deceased father who was a New Jersey police officer, according to The Tampa Tribune.
Barry was charged after store employees identified him, deputies said.
'From what I heard, he was very sorry he did what he did,' New Jersey Captain James Mallo told The Tampa Tribune.
'I believe he was even crying on scene. He made a huge mistake. He understood that.'
Dunkin’ Donuts worker Michelle Hoeltk told cops that Barry was a regular customer who had been 'abusing his discount by coming in on the weekends with his family and demanding the discount,'
The Smoking Gun reported.
She added that Dunkin Donuts managers decided to 'no longer offer him the discount because of his abuse.'
Barry has been charged with impersonating a law enforcement officer and improper exhibition of a firearm.
He was booked into the Pasco County jail, from which he was released last night after posting $5150 bond.
Fox News reported local police officers say they are not entitled to discounts and don't ask for them.
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