Two men are facing charges after allegedly posing as Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers to rob three separate victims across Palm Beach County in the span of about 19 hours on Monday, October 19 — snatching gold jewelry, an electric scooter, and demanding one victim's passport along the way.
Three Robberies, One Day, One Pickup Truck
Sean Armas and Billy Brewer were arrested in connection with the three robberies, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, as reported by WPEC. The spree began just after 2:30 a.m. that Monday near Cresthaven Boulevard and Military Trail, where a victim riding an electric bicycle was approached by suspects driving a black pickup truck marked with “State Trapper” decals on both rear windows along with FWC logo stickers, per the station's report. The suspects demanded the victim's identification and passport and asked whether he was a U.S. citizen before one of them snatched a gold chain from his neck.
That kind of citizenship questioning is a recognizable imposter tactic — demanding passports or proof of citizenship is a common way police impersonators establish psychological dominance over victims to force compliance, according to the Law Office of Ashley Aulls. Less than five hours later, at 7:20 a.m., a second robbery struck a bus stop near South Military Trail and Summit Boulevard, where one suspect implied he had a firearm before another snatched a female victim's gold necklace, the same account notes.
Third Victim Knocked Off a Scooter
The spree's third incident unfolded just past 9 p.m. that night in the 4000 block of Roberts Way, where suspects pushed a victim off an electric scooter and took it, per the same account. A witness to that robbery told investigators the suspects identified themselves as law enforcement officers, reinforcing the pattern detectives say ran through all three encounters.
The “State Trapper” signage on the suspects' truck carried no real legal weight — Florida does not issue an official state trapper license, meaning decals or window labels advertising that designation do not represent an official state agency position, according to Dr. Critter. Private nuisance wildlife operators can register in state directories, but that status carries no sworn law enforcement authority.
What the Suspects Could Face
The charges facing Armas and Brewer go well beyond simple robbery. Impersonating a law enforcement officer — a category that explicitly includes FWC officers under Florida law — is normally a third-degree felony, but it escalates to a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison when committed during another felony such as robbery, according to the Florida Senate's statutes.
The robbery charges themselves carry their own steep penalties. Under Florida Statute § 812.13, robbery with a deadly weapon is a first-degree felony carrying a potential life sentence, while strong-arm robbery without a weapon is a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in state prison, per Galanter Law. Florida's Criminal Punishment Code also ranks these offenses by severity for sentencing purposes: impersonating an officer during a felony sits at Level 4, while armed robbery itself is ranked far higher, at Level 8 or Level 9, according to the Sammis Law Firm's analysis of the state's point system.
Detectives Believe More Victims Haven't Come Forward
PBSO detectives believe there may be additional victims who have not yet come forward, according to the WPEC report. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-458-TIPS (8477).
Beyond the tip line, Palm Beach County residents have other ways to flag suspicious encounters with unmarked vehicles claiming official status. The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office runs a mobile app called ConnectProtect that lets residents receive targeted neighborhood safety alerts and send tips or photos directly to deputies, according to the Apple App Store listing for the tool. PBSO's headquarters sits at 3228 Gun Club Road in West Palm Beach, and the agency also maintains a non-emergency dispatch line.
How to Protect Yourself From Fake Officers
This case lands amid broader warnings about how impersonators operate. Public safety guidance circulated in Florida advises anyone who doubts the legitimacy of an unmarked vehicle or plainclothes officer to turn on their hazard lights, drive to a well-lit public area, and call 911 or local dispatch before complying, a safety tip highlighted by The Palm Beach Post. Impersonators often rely on victims complying quickly in isolated settings, which is precisely why that guidance urges people to seek out crowds and lighting first.
Vehicle markings aren't the only red flag investigators look for in these cases. Florida Statute § 316.2397 strictly restricts the display of red, white, or blue emergency lights on non-law enforcement vehicles, and unauthorized installation of such lighting is a separate statutory violation frequently cited in impersonation prosecutions, according to The Rivas Law Firm. It remains an open question whether the suspects in this spree used flashing lights of that kind during any of the three encounters.
Palm Beach County's emergency response system is built to handle exactly this sort of multi-location crime spree. The county relies on 15 primary emergency dispatch centers to coordinate responses across municipal police departments and the Sheriff's Office, according to the Palm Beach County Public Safety Department, allowing cross-jurisdictional reporting when incidents unfold rapidly across different roadways in a single day, as they did on October 19.
