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Eric Diaz, age 43, of Brentwood, pleaded guilty to a felony count in Suffolk County Court Wednesday, Oct. 11, after being caught with multiple fraudulent NYPD identification cards.
According to prosecutors, Diaz posed as a cop on multiple occasions while visiting a retail store in Bay Shore between April and May 2023.
During the visits, he displayed what looked like a police badge, handcuffs, and a handgun and asked for a “police discount.”
He was eventually stopped by police, who found him with a holstered electronic stun gun and numerous fraudulent law enforcement cards. Among them was a fake NYPD sergeant ID card.
Police then searched his Brentwood home where they found phony pistols, a gun belt, a bulletproof vest, and handcuffs.
“This defendant wrongfully impersonated a police officer,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney.
“My office supports the men and women in law enforcement, and we are committed to holding accountable those who would attempt to wrongfully benefit from the public service of our sworn law enforcement members.”
Diaz was arrested in August 2023. In court Wednesday, he pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a forged instrument, a felony.
He is due back in court on Monday, Nov. 13, and is expected to get two to four years in prison.
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