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Largo man twice accused of impersonating an officer

 
Blumencranz
Blumencranz
Published March 23, 2016

Largo police arrested a 35-year-old man twice last weekend on charges that he posed as an undercover narcotics investigator and tried to conduct a traffic stop while driving more than 100 mph, according to arrest reports.

The first time officers arrested Todd Blumencranz, he was in his apartment complex at 601 Rosery Road NE on Saturday and introduced himself to one of the residents as Todd Miller, a Pinellas Sheriff's Office narcotics deputy, and asked him to follow him out to his "unmarked" 2007 silver Nissan Altima.

Blumencranz talked to him about recent car burglaries and the arrests of two juveniles accused of possessing crack cocaine, a report says.

The resident called police. Blumencranz admitted he was impersonating an officer.

"He stated that he really did not have a reason for doing this," an officer wrote. "He just wanted to look cool, and beyond that there was no other reason."

Blumencranz was arrested and released a few hours later on $5,000 bail from the Pinellas County Jail.

On Sunday, Blumencranz placed a small red flashing light on his dashboard and tried to conduct a traffic stop on a yellow Ford Mustang heading north on U.S. 19 N, police said.

The driver initially slowed down, but after seeing it wasn't a police cruiser, she pulled into a gas station.

Blumencranz talked to police again, and told them he was driving more than 100 mph, a report states.

He was arrested, but released again on $5,000 bail.

Blumencranz faces two counts of impersonating an officer, which is a felony.

Times staff writer Kathryn Varn contributed to this report.