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James J. Tedesco IV, 43, of Nanuet had an NYPD jacket and DEA hat with him, as well as two AR-15 rifles, 1,139 rounds of ammo and a bag loaded with gas mask equipment and suits, when he was stopped on the southbound interstate in Vero Beach shortly after 4:30 p.m. Monday, the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office said.
He was arrested, processed and sent to the county jail about 2½ hours later, records show.
Tedesco posted a $26,000 bond shortly after 12:30 p.m. Tuesday and was released pending a Dec. 30 first court appearance, according to the records.
Tedesco was doing 95 miles an hour with red and blue lights flashing on the passenger side of his vehicle when a deputy stopped him late Monday afternoon, the Sebastian (FL) Daily reported, quoting the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office.
Tedesco said he was employed by the Miami Fire Department and was on his way to a fire in the city, according to the sebastiandaily.com report.
The deputy said he contacted the Miami FD and learned that Tedesco no longer worked for the department, having medically retired three years ago, the newspaper reported.
Tedesco eventually admitted that he no longer was with the department, was headed to Miami to go fishing and lied because he was afraid, the deputy was quoted as saying.
The deputy reported searching the vehicle and finding an NYPD jacket and DEA hat on the passenger seat and two AR-15 rifles, gloves, and 1,139 rounds of ammo, as well as a bag loaded with gas mask equipment and suits in the trunk, according to the story.
The deputy also reported finding a little over an ounce of pot wrapped in baggies, along with brass knuckles, in the center console, it said.
MORE: Man Charged with Impersonating a Police Officer on I-95 (Sebastian Daily)
Tedesco -- one of his father's three adult children -- worked as a firefighter with Ladder Company 7 on 28th Street in Manhattan, according to a July 2016 wedding announcement in the New York Times.
His father is also a veteran firefighter.
A former Paramus councilman and mayor, Jim Tedesco was elected Bergen County executive in 2014 and took office in January 2015. The former Democratic freeholder was re-elected in 2018.
Tedesco announced this past spring that he planned to seek re-election next year in a bid to become only the second three-term county executive in Bergen County history.
The county executive didn't respond to a request for comment.
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