BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – A Palm Bay man has been arrested after he showed up to a traffic stop and pretended to be the driver’s lawyer, according to the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office.
In an arrest warrant affidavit, deputies said the traffic stop happened back in April along Interstate 95, shortly before 3 a.m.
“During the stop, a controlled substance was located within the vehicle and in the driver’s purse,” the affidavit reads. “After advising the driver of their Miranda Rights and beginning a post-Miranda interview, the defendant arrived on scene.”
The defendant — later identified as Derek Schaufus, 30 — came up to the stop and was identified by the driver as her attorney, deputies explained. They also said that the driver refused to speak with the responding deputy any longer, instead referring him to “her lawyer.”
In fact, Schaufus had shown up wearing a full suit and tie, asking about legal procedures, the existence of probable cause, and even trying to negotiate a deal for the driver, the affidavit reveals.
Per investigators, Schaufus claimed to be bar certified and licensed to practice in both Florida and Georgia, but when asked for proof, he said he didn’t have any documentation with him.
A check of the vehicle’s information confirmed Schaufus was not, in fact, an attorney, though it did show he had been arrested last year on a charge of DUI, according to the sheriff’s office.
“(I) asked the driver how she knew (Schaufus), and she advised it was through a friend,” the affidavit continues. “She had spoken with him in the past, and he had told her he was a lawyer. She felt she needed a lawyer during the traffic stop, so she called him to contract his services.”
As a result of the incident, Schaufus was arrested this month and now faces charges of obstruction by a disguised person and practicing law without a license.
Meanwhile, body-camera footage of the traffic stop has been obtained by News 6 and can be found at the top of this story.