Man sentenced to prison for posing as police officer at Atlanta gas station

ATLANTA - A man previously convicted of child molestation, robbery and stalking was sentenced to prison for four years after posing as a police officer with a firearm at an Atlanta gas station last year, state prosecutors said. 

What we know:

Frederick Crawford was sentenced to four years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after being convicted of unlawfully possessing a firearm.

An off-duty Atlanta officer saw Crawford, 34, at the gas station on Apr. 12, 2024, while he was buying gas, a release from the US Attorney’s Office states.

The officer reported seeing Crawford armed and wearing a uniform labeled "fugitive task force" arguing with customers and repeatedly threatening to issue tickets to people at the store.

The off-duty sergeant approached Crawford and flagged down two marked police cars to assist. When Crawford saw the officers coming towards him, he fled, ditching the firearm, according to prosecutors.

He was arrested shortly after, and officers found he had been previously convicted for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, child molestation, family violence battery, aggravated stalking, and robbery by force.

The Atlanta Police Department requested that Crawford be prosecuted federally. 

What we don't know:

Prosecutors did not release further information about Crawford’s past convictions or the gas station where the incident occurred.

It is unclear what kind of firearm Crawford possessed during the impersonation.