What started as a routine late-night warrant check at a Franklin gas station ended with a Mustang in a driveway, a K-9 and drone search, and a man in handcuffs accused of pretending to be a cop.
Authorities say 39-year-old Franklin resident Jeffrey McNabb was arrested after a pursuit that wrapped up with officers finding a counterfeit police badge and other forged documents inside his car. He is now facing a slate of criminal charges.
According to court records, McNabb was indicted on counts that include failure to comply, obstructing official business, forgery, receiving stolen property, and impersonating a peace officer. Officers say that when they searched the Mustang he had been driving, they recovered a black wallet holding a Carlisle Police Department patrolman’s badge, a police ID card, and a photo identifying McNabb as a reserve officer. Carlisle officials later confirmed they had no record of him ever working there.
McNabb is being held at the Warren County Jail, according to reporting by FOX19.
How the chase unfolded, turn by turn
Franklin police say the incident began on May 6 at a Marathon gas station on State Route 123, where a man driving a Ford Mustang was reported to have active warrants. When officers moved in, the driver took off, heading southeast on the highway.
From there, police say the Mustang turned onto Robinson Vail Road and State Route 122, then cut into a residential neighborhood. Deputies later found the car parked in a driveway, but the driver was nowhere in sight.
A K-9 unit and a drone were called in to help with the search. Officers say they eventually spotted a man hiding in the tree line. After ordering him to comply, they took him into custody and identified him as McNabb.
What Ohio law says about playing cop
Ohio law specifically bans impersonating a peace officer, and how severely it is punished depends on what the person is accused of doing while in that fake role. Under Ohio Revised Code § 2921.51, the offense can be charged as a misdemeanor or, in more serious circumstances, a felony. Separate counts, such as forgery or receiving stolen property, bring their own potential penalties.
McNabb remains in the Warren County Jail as the case moves through the local court system. Franklin Police Chief Adam Colon said the department coordinated with Warren County deputies and Carlisle officials during the investigation. Prosecutors will determine which formal charges go forward at upcoming hearings.
