AUSTIN, Texas — A former Chicago police officer is facing a felony charge in Travis County after allegedly impersonating a DEA officer.
According to an affidavit, an incident occurred on Sept. 16 at Haze and Blaze Vape Shop in the 10600 block of RM 2222. A victim, whose age was not released, was approached by a man, identified as Dimitri Roberts, claiming to be a police officer and demanding to see his driver's license. Roberts told the victim he suspected he was underaged.
Roberts then took the license without permission. He asked the victim if the address on the license was accurate, threatening him by telling him "don't lie to a cop." He then left the store with the license and drove away in a gray Tesla.
The following day, the victim returned home and noticed Roberts' gray Tesla drive up to the residence. Roberts got out and told the victim that he was an undercover DEA agent who had been surveilling him over the previous 24 hours. He then took the victim's hat, necklace and wallet and forced him to sit in the backseat of the Tesla. The victim complied, telling police that he believed Roberts was actually an officer.
The victim's father let Roberts into the home, believing he was an officer. Roberts told the father that he would make the victim complete various tasks instead of arrest, and subsequently threw the victim's license and wallet to his father.
The father then became suspicious of Roberts, prompting him to Google himself and pull up social media profiles proving he was Dimitri Roberts.
Roberts walked back out to the Tesla and threw the father's phone on the ground, then hit the victim in the back of the head with an open hand. He then commented about getting a search warrant, before apologizing and leaving the scene. Investigators later reviewed the home's doorbell camera, which confirmed that Roberts had hit the victim.
Through a background search, investigators learned that Roberts had been an officer with the Chicago Police Department until 2014, but was not a current federal agent nor was he a licensed peace officer in Texas.
Detectives contacted Roberts on Sept. 18, who confirmed he interacted with the victim at the vape store. The affidavit states he then became verbally combative and didn't answer any other questions.
Roberts has been charged with impersonating a peace officer, a felony, and a misdemeanor charge of assault causing bodily injury.