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Police: Fake Iraqi vet arrested after talking to University Place students

by DREW MIKKELSEN / KING 5 News

Bio | Email | Follow: @Drewmikk

KING5.com

Posted on November 4, 2009 at 2:29 PM

Updated Wednesday, Nov 4 at 5:56 PM

UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. - A 20-year-old man spent several hours Monday lecturing students at a University Place middle school about his adventures fighting for the U.S. in Iraq and Afghanistan.

According to school officials, Antonio Codute-Farrison was never in the military.

He was arrested Tuesday morning.

According to school officials Codute-Farrison used to attend Drum Intermediate School.

Monday morning, a former teacher at Drum said the former student asked if he could speak to the students.

The teacher allowed it, and encouraged other teachers to allow Codute-Farrison to speak to their students.

That teacher has been put on administrative leave because the guest speaker was not screened before being allowed to speak to students.

Codute-Farrison was dressed in military fatigues, and had a knife hanging from his clothes.

"This is a real breach of security," said University Place School District Deputy Superintendent Terry Pullen.

"We're embarrassed by it," said Pullen.

Pierce County Sheriff's Investigators said the alleged imposter has been arrested before for pretending to be a police officer.

Click here for public safety notice.

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Comments: Displaying 1 - 7 of 7

qwertyuiop said on November 5, 2009 at 10:30 AM

chevelle70ss wrote: And what crime did he commit, last time i checked it wasent against the law to impersonate a military member. ************************************************************************************ When was the last time you checked? What resource did you check?

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bigdave55 said on November 4, 2009 at 9:12 PM

chevelle70ss it is against the law to portray yourself as being a veteran or in the military or to have received medals in which you have not. What you really should be concerned with in that someone was allowed to enter a class room and talk with children and being armed with a weapon that has not been cleared or background checked. This could have very easily turned out a lot worse then it did, this is outrageous.

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pthoma79 said on November 4, 2009 at 5:49 PM

Chevelle: RCW 9A.60.045 Criminal impersonation in the second degree. (1) A person is guilty of criminal impersonation in the second degree if the person: (a)(i) Claims to be a law enforcement officer or creates an impression that he or she is a law enforcement officer; and (ii) Under circumstances not amounting to criminal impersonation in the first degree, does an act with intent to convey the impression that he or she is acting in an official capacity and a reasonable person would believe the person is a law enforcement officer; or (b) Falsely assumes the identity of a veteran or active duty member of the armed forces of the United States with intent to defraud for the purpose of personal gain or to facilitate any unlawful activity. (2) Criminal impersonation in the second degree is a gross misdemeanor.

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david5198 said on November 4, 2009 at 5:01 PM

I am not sure if it is or is not illegal to impersonate a military member. I do feel that it is a slap in the face of people who have been or currently are in the military. It certainly shows that this person is in desparate need of help.

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stryker said on November 4, 2009 at 4:14 PM

Having a weapon on school grounds is an arrestable offence.

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chevelle70ss said on November 4, 2009 at 3:54 PM

I dont think i am following what he was arrested for. Last time i checked its not against the law to impersonate someone from the military, not cool but not against the law.

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chevelle70ss said on November 4, 2009 at 3:53 PM

And what crime did he commit, last time i checked it wasent against the law to impersonate a military member.

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