Police arrest Hamilton man committing thefts while impersonating officer

Hamilton police have arrested a man impersonating an undercover officer and stealing from two separate victims.

The first incident occurred around 8 a.m. April 13 in the area of Cannon Street East and Wellington Street North. The victim was leaving a store when the man posing as an undercover officer called them over to a black vehicle he was in.

The man told the victim they matched the description of a suspect from a recent investigation. Using this as his way to lure the victim in, he then asked them to surrender their wallet for identification purposes. The man then fled the area with the victim’s wallet.

Around 9:30 later that morning, the man used the same impersonation near King and Ashley streets to detain and pat down another victim. He told the victim in his instance that they were being detained in relation to a bike theft investigation.

During the pat down, he took their cell phone and debit card. Once he had those items in hand, the man told the victim he needed to return to his vehicle to place the items in an evidence bag. He did not return with the victim’s items.

Authorities were able to use CCTV footage and follow-up with victims to identify the suspect.

As a result, 25-year-old Andrew White of Hamilton has been arrested and charged with the following:

• Impersonating a Peace Officer
• Theft Under $5,000
• Unauthorized Use of a Credit Card

Hamilton police are reminding the public that legitimate officers will clearly identify themselves. They wear identifiable police-issed clothing and carry both a badge and an official warrant card.

Anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to contact police at 905-546-4725.

Those wishing to provide information anonymously can do so through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or via their website.

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