A Miami motorcyclist who claimed he was a Florida Highway Patrol trooper wound up in handcuffs on June 18 after what started as a simple speeding warning spiraled into a full-blown criminal case. Police say the rider flashed a state badge, told officers he was “one of us,” and walked away with just a warning, only for officers to learn minutes later that he was no longer with FHP and that his driver’s license was suspended. That warning quickly turned into a felony arrest.
According to Local 10, the stop happened at about 8:50 a.m. at Northwest Seventh Avenue and 11th Street in Overtown, where an officer’s laser clocked the motorcycle at 48 mph in a posted 30 mph zone. The arrest report states the rider handed over an FHP badge issued Aug. 6, 2014, and identified himself as “I am FHP Troop E Miami.”
What the law says
Under Florida law, falsely personating a law enforcement officer is a third-degree felony, and penalties can increase if the impersonation happens during the commission of another felony. The details of the offense and the possible enhanced penalties are laid out in Section 843.08 of the Florida Statutes.
Arrest and court details
As Local 10 reports, Miami police took the man into custody shortly after 9:30 a.m. on June 18, and he was booked that day into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, according to Miami-Dade corrections records. Court filings show prosecutors opened a felony case on June 19 and a judge set bond at $2,500. Those same records indicate the rider’s license had been suspended since May 26, following an April citation.
Local pattern and FHP context
The arrest comes on the heels of other recent local cases involving alleged fake credentials. Earlier this week, posing as a security worker at Bayfront Park’s FIFA Fan Fest led to a separate arrest. In this latest case, Rivero had identified himself as part of Troop E, which is the FHP unit that covers Miami-Dade and Monroe counties, according to FHP's Troop E page.
If convicted, a third-degree felony can carry significant prison time under state sentencing laws. For now, the case moves through Miami’s criminal court system, where the former trooper will have to answer to the charges.
