Police Impersonation Charge Reduced in Plea Agreement

JONESBORO, Ark. — A defendant initially jailed on a half-million-dollar bond after being accused of criminal impersonation of a law enforcement officer has taken a plea agreement to two misdemeanor charges.

Demillion J. Pippin, who was 20 at the time of his arrest, pleaded to carrying a weapon and obstructing governmental operations, both misdemeanors, on April 29, 2026. He was ordered to pay $100 in fines, plus court fees.

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Pippin had originally been accused of criminal impersonation in the first degree after an incident in November 2024 involving visits to Jonesboro High School and Success School, according to the probable cause affidavit. Authorities had alleged Pippin presented himself in a manner consistent with law enforcement personnel.

The affidavit said Pippin identified himself as a federal officer at Jonesboro High School and requested a reference letter. At Success School, authorities said he claimed to be a federal agent and commissioned security officer preparing to obtain a federal license for courthouse security.

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Investigators later said a search of Pippin’s vehicle turned up several items consistent with law enforcement or security work, including tactical vests, patches, radios, gear, and laptops. The affidavit also said he had allegedly worked as an armed security officer in Jonesboro without a license.

However, a source in the prosecutor’s office told NEA Report the criminal impersonation charge presented a challenge because the law requires proof of intent to induce a person to submit to someone acting with official authority. The source said prosecutors struggled with proving that element based on what happened when Pippin entered the building.

The source said Pippin had no criminal history and that the vest he had was stuffed with laptops, not ballistic plates.

Prosecutors did not want to dismiss the case entirely based on the circumstances, the source said, but the intent requirement made the original felony charge difficult to prove.

(a)
(1) A person commits criminal impersonation in the first degree if, with the purpose to induce a person to submit to pretended official authority for the purpose to injure or defraud the person, the person:
(A) Pretends to be a law enforcement officer by wearing or displaying, without authority, any uniform or badge by which a law enforcement officer is lawfully distinguished; or
(B) Uses a motor vehicle or motorcycle designed, equipped, or marked with an emblem, logo, marking, decal, insignia, or design so as to resemble a motor vehicle or motorcycle belonging to a federal, state, or local law enforcement agency or law enforcement officer.
(2) Criminal impersonation in the first degree is a Class D felony.
(b)
(1) A person commits criminal impersonation in the second degree if the person does an act in his or her pretended or assumed capacity or character with the purpose to injure, defraud, harass, or intimidate another person and the actor:
(A) Assumes a false identity;
(B) Pretends to be a representative of a person or organization;
(C) Pretends to be an officer or employee of the government other than a law enforcement officer described in subsection (a) of this section;
(D) Pretends that he or she is a law enforcement officer when the person is not a law enforcement officer;
(E) Pretends to have a handicap or disability; or
(F) Pretends that he or she is a member of the United States Armed Forces or National Guard.
(2) Criminal impersonation in the second degree is a:
(A) Class D felony if:
(i) The victim of the offense is an animal owner; and
(ii) An animal of the owner is seized as a result of the offense; or
(B) Class A misdemeanor if otherwise committed.
(c) As used in this section:
(1) “Animal” means the same as defined in § 5-62-102; and
(2) “Owner” means the same as defined in § 5-62-102.
(d) A circuit court or district court in which a charge is filed under subsection (a) of this section may immediately order the removal of any emblems, logos, markings, decals, insignia, or designs that are the subject of a criminal charge under this section.

– Justia