Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that 27-year-old Corey Shepard of Cheektowaga has been sentenced by Erie County Court Judge Michael Pietruszka to six months in jail and 5 years probation for impersonating a police officer.

In January, the defendant pleaded guilty to two counts of Attempted Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree, two counts of Criminal Impersonation in the Second Degree, Menacing in the Second Degree and Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Fifth Degree.

The judge also ordered the defendant to perform 200 hours of community service and prohibited him from possessing a gun, a weapon replica or any other law enforcement items.

On October 14, 2016, the defendant called 911 to report an erratic driver and claimed that he was an off-duty police officer on his way home from working in Buffalo. 

Cheektowaga Police later searched Shepard’s home and found the defendant in possession of police uniforms, a bullet-proof vest, fake police identifications purporting to be from the Office of Mental Health and Canisius College, a parking ticket book for the Buffalo Police Department and other law enforcement related items. 

Shepard also admitted to presenting himself as a police officer while working security at a local drugstore.

DA Flynn commends the investigative work of Cheektowaga Police Officer Jacob Wodowski, Lt. Brian Gould and Lt. Kenneth Rusin, as well as Buffalo Police Detectives John Paradowski and Charles Militello.

Assistant District Attorney Rachel L. Newton prosecuted the case.