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Detective Philip Ross stopped the 2008 Jeep Wrangler “on the right shoulder passing vehicles stopped in heavy traffic” the night of June 21, Capt. Stanley Zon said at the time.
George Santos, 44, of Willingboro, “immediately identified himself as a police officer with the New York City Sanitation police department,” and showed Ross a police shield and ID card that expired April 30, Zon said.
A “very nervous” Santos could explain why he hadn’t replaced the card, the captain said.
What’s more, he said, Santos wasn’t looking into the camera in the card’s photo.
Ross then began asking NYPD-related questions that Santos couldn’t answer correctly, Zon said.
Once backup officers arrived, they ordered Santos out of the Jeep, obtained his consent to search the vehicle and turned up a fully loaded 9mm Smith & Wesson semi-automatic handgun, along with bogus ID cards, and another high-capacity magazine for the weapon, the captain said.
A total of 24 rounds were found, he said.
Grand jurors in Hackensack charged Santos with separate counts of illegal possession of the weapon and the magazine, impersonating a police officer and presenting bogus ID to police. Fort Lee police also issued him summonses for improper passing and driving an unregistered vehicle.
He remains free on $7,500 bail.
MUGSHOT: Courtesy FORT LEE PD
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