Ex-firefighter charged with impersonating a firefighter while panhandling
Deputies say the man was fired from a local fire department and was collecting cash in a boot
By FireRescue1 Staff
WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. — A former firefighter was arrested and charged on Sunday for allegedly impersonating a firefighter while panhandling.
Deputies say 45-year-old Ryan Cushing-Gomez was fired from his previous firefighting job, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Cushing-Gomez was reportedly begging for money at an intersection while wearing a Pasco County firefighter’s cap and t-shirt and was collecting cash in a boot.
The former firefighter was charged with falsely impersonating an officer, a state felony. His bond was set at $5,000 and he is currently released from custody, according to Pasco County Sheriff’s Office records.
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