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.

Ryan Cushing-Gomez, a former firefighter, was charged with falsely impersonating an officer after reportedly panhandling while wearing a Pasco County firefighter's shirt and hat. (Photo/Pasco County Sheriff's Office)

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.