ORLANDO, Fla. – An Orlando man is facing charges after he falsely impersonated a law enforcement officer while confronting a Walmart truck driver he suspected was “involved in human trafficking,” the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said.
On Wednesday, deputies responded to the Walmart on 9047 Curry Ford Road in Orlando to a report of an individual impersonating a sheriff’s deputy.
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Upon arrival, deputies met with the victim, who provided both a verbal and sworn written statement detailing the encounter.
According to an arrest affidavit, the victim reported that around 8 a.m., he parked his delivery truck in the loading area of the store.
Shortly thereafter, a man, later identified as Michael Diaz, 51, approached his vehicle and knocked on the window, where he claimed to be a sheriff’s deputy and presented a business card featuring the “Florida Sheriffs Association” logo.
Diaz then requested the victim’s driver’s license and instructed him to exit the vehicle.
The victim complied but became suspicious when he noticed that Diaz was not wearing a gun or radio. After requesting to see Diaz’s badge and beginning to call 911, Diaz entered a silver Ford Explorer and drove away, the affidavit states.
Moments later, deputies located Diaz at the intersection of Chickasaw Trail and Scarborough Court. Following a positive identification, Diaz was arrested.
During the questioning, Diaz claimed that he believed the Walmart delivery truck was involved in human trafficking and that his Florida Sheriffs Association card granted him the authority to conduct investigations. It was noted that Diaz displayed signs of alcohol consumption during the incident, the affidavit states.
Diaz was arrested and booked into the Orange County Jail. He was charged with falsely impersonating a law enforcement officer and had an active warrant for felony burglary at the time of his arrest.