Homeless man charged with pretending to be Richmond County deputy at T-Bonz in Evans
A homeless man was arrested Friday after allegedly pretending to be a Richmond County Sheriff's Office deputy at the T-Bonz Steakhouse in Evans.
Michael Wayne Simpson, 55, is charged with disorderly conduct and impersonating a public officer, according to jail records. He was granted a $2,600 secure bond for the impersonation charge and a $1,100 bond for the conduct charge, according to jail records.
On Friday, Columbia County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to the T-Bonz Steakhouse in Evans for trouble with a suspect, according to an incident report.
The general manager told deputies Simpson came into T-Bonz and ordered a beer, according to the report. Simpson allegedly told the bartender he needed to put his service animal into his car, put $3 on the bar, and asked the bartender to hold the beer.
The bartender said no because $3 was not enough to cover the beer, according to the report. Simpson started arguing with the bartender and was asked to leave, which he refused.
The bartender told deputies Simpson started yelling that he was going to his car because he had his gun inside the car, according to the report.
Deputies met with Simpson, who "immediately" identified himself as a lieutenant with the Richmond County Sheriff's Office, according to the report. When deputies asked for his credentials, Simpson said he was still in training, but due to his experience, he was automatically promoted to lieutenant.
Inmate attack: Columbia County inmate charged with attacking deputy
When Simpson was asked who his supervisor was, he said he reported directly to Sheriff (Richard) Roundtree and said his captain was Donald Smith, according to the report. He then changed the name of his captain to Ricky Smith.
Deputies called a Richmond County Sheriff's Office investigator, who confirmed Simpson was not employed with them, according to the report.
Deputies searched Simpson's car because it smelled like marijuana, according to the report. During the search, deputies found a duty belt with a holster attached, a BB gun that fit inside the holster, a radio attached to the duty belt and pouches with different gear on the car's driver seat.
The BB gun that was found looked "just like" a real Smith and Wesson handgun and was only found to be a BB gun after further investigation, deputies noted in the report.
Simpson was taken to the Columbia County Detention Center and his dog surrendered to Columbia County Animal Services, due to deputies not being able to get in touch with any family members, according to the report.
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Man arrested for claiming to be Richmond County deputy
