Hernando County woman arrested on charge of impersonating law enforcement officer

BROOKSVILLE — Hernando deputies have arrested a 31-year-old woman on a warrant that accuses her of impersonating a law enforcement officer.

Janie Ilene Melton, 31, was taken into custody Monday and transported to the Hernando County Jail. She was released early Tuesday after posting $2,000 bail.

According to the arrest affidavit, Melton went to a Hess gas station at 26260 Cortez Blvd. on Aug. 14 and told an employee that she was looking for her daughter, who she had reported missing and believed had been in that store.

Deputies said Melton asked the station's assistant manager to review the store's surveillance video. An off-duty, nonuniformed deputy came to the store and eventually got Melton to reveal that she wasn't a deputy.

After a month of interviews and an investigation by the State Attorney's Office, Melton was taken into custody Monday afternoon at Chocachatti Elementary School.

Melton used to work as a sheriff's deputy, but is currently unemployed, according to the affidavit.

Melton's mother, Shirley Melton, was also taken into custody Monday on charges of assault and battery of a law enforcement officer.

Shirley Melton allegedly confronted deputies when they came to their home Monday looking to serve the warrant. Deputies said Shirley Melton pushed one of them in the back as they attempted to leave her property.

Joel Anderson can be reached at joelanderson@sptimes.com or (352) 754-6120.