Two West Palm Beach men are accused of posing as police to rob three people in a single day, and deputies tracked both of them down that same night.
Story Highlights
- Detectives say two men posed as officers and robbed three people in one day.
- Two victims lost gold necklaces, one of them a woman’s cross, and a third man was pushed off his scooter.
- The official-looking truck they used is what gave them away: license-plate readers and the sheriff’s aviation unit followed it to the pair that night.
- Both are accused, not convicted; bond is $150,000 each, and detectives are asking more victims to come forward.
Deputies Link Three Robberies To A Single Truck And Two Suspects
Palm Beach County sheriff’s detectives say Sean Armas, 39, and Billy Brewer, 37, robbed three people on Monday, October 19, in unincorporated Palm Beach County, the areas outside city limits that the sheriff patrols. Detectives say the men used the look and language of law enforcement to get victims to go along, then took what they wanted. Both men face charges of robbery without a firearm or weapon and falsely personating an officer, which means pretending to be one. Reports have not included a statement from either man.
The men drove a gray 2021 Ford F-150 with “State Trapper” lettering on the rear windows. It also had logo stickers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the state agency that enforces hunting, fishing and boating laws. That look can push a person to comply when someone claims an investigation is underway, and detectives say that is what happened here.
The first robbery came at about 2:30 a.m. near Cresthaven Boulevard and South Military Trail. A man riding an e-bike told deputies a passenger got out of the truck, said, “We are conducting an investigation,” and asked about his legal status. The man at first believed they were police. The suspect grabbed his 14-karat gold chain, valued at $780. It broke, and the suspect ran off with the piece left in his hand.
At about 7:20 a.m., a woman waiting at a Palm Tran bus stop, part of the county’s bus system, at 910 South Military Trail, said a man walked up, said “Hola,” and ripped off her 14-karat gold necklace. It held a cross and a saint pendant and was valued at $2,800. According to the arrest affidavit, a sworn written statement from investigators, the two men swapped seats between the first two robberies.
Witness Reports Include Police Claims And A Stolen Scooter
The third robbery came at about 8:30 p.m. at Lake Worth Village Mobile Home Park on Roberts Way. A man was riding home on his black electric scooter with groceries from a nearby supermarket when the truck pulled in front of him and boxed him in. Detectives say both men pushed him off, and one threw the scooter, groceries and all, into the truck bed. When a woman asked what was going on, the men shouted, “We are the police!!!” and drove away.
Detectives used surveillance video and license-plate-reader data to tie all three robberies to the truck. License-plate readers are cameras that read and log the plates of passing cars. Deputies found the truck at a West Palm Beach home that night. With help from the sheriff’s aviation unit watching from above, they saw Armas and Brewer leave the home and get into the truck, with Armas driving.
Deputies then made a felony traffic stop, a high-risk stop used when officers believe the people inside may have committed a serious crime, and detained both men. During a protective sweep, a quick safety check of the home, deputies saw a black electric scooter in a bedroom. In a show-up, where a victim views a suspect soon after a crime, one victim identified Armas as the driver and Brewer as the passenger.
Why Impersonation Strikes At Public Trust And How The Law Sees It
People who pose as officers borrow trust that real deputies earn, which turns a theft into an attack on the trust that keeps a community safe. Florida courts have upheld robbery convictions where a fake police claim, along with the scene around it, would make a reasonable person afraid, even when no weapon was used.
On Wednesday, October 21, bond was set at $150,000 for each man. Bond is the amount a person must post to get out of jail while the case moves forward. These are arrests and charges, not convictions. Detectives believe there may be more victims who have not come forward. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-458-TIPS (8477). Anyone unsure whether a person claiming to be an officer is real can call 911 to check before handing anything over.
