By Andrew W. Griffin

Red Dirt Report, editor

Posted: February 2, 2010

reddirtreporter@gmail.com

OKLAHOMA CITY – A German national is currently in the Oklahoma County Jail held on two state felony counts after allegedly fooling an Oklahoma City Police Department captain into believing he was a member of the German federal police.

According to Oklahoma City P.D. Capt. Patrick Stewart, Maziar Golchehr, 27, of Cologne, Germany was arrested on Jan. 27 on felony charges, including possession of a sawed-off rifle and a charge of wearing body armor in the commission of a felony.

The impersonator, according to Stewart, came to Oklahoma City in March 2009 and befriended a captain on the Oklahoma City Police Department .

 “He said he was an ex-German police officer and a current federal law officer back in Germany and was here on a visa,” Stewart told Red Dirt Report. “He came to the States seeking employment and the captain agreed to let him stay at his residence.”

During this five-week period last spring, Golchehr was allowed to participate in training exercises. This was when he used the sawed-off shotgun and wore the body armor, Stewart said.

But not everyone was convinced he was really part of German law enforcement. Stewart said an officer at OCPD became suspicious of Golchehr and made some calls to the U.S. Department of State in Washington and discovered that Golchehr was, in fact, an imposter and wanted in Germany as well for pulling a similar stunt there.

Online research on Golchehr revealed that the German had been working with Oklahoma City's "Bounty Boys" last fall.

A German TV program, Focus TV Reportage, did a feature on Golchehr, translated into English, calling him a "German among Bounty Hunters."

They wrote: "Equipped with the specail heavily armed Bounty Hunter penetrate into the homes of wanted criminals to arrest." It notes that "Maziar Golchehr from Cologne attracts exactly this hard job." It then says, "The four Southerners are among the most successful bounty hunters of the big city and have agreed to give the 26-year-old (Golchehr) a chance and take him along on some missions."

Red Dirt Report had received a tip on Monday about Golchehr and the concern that he may be a terrorist. Asked about this, Stewart said Golchehr was not on any terrorist watch lists.

“If he had any further intent, we’re not aware of it,” Stewart said.

As for the captain who befriended Golchehr and allowed him to participate in law enforcement activities that civilians aren’t allowed to take part in, that person is currently on administrative leave while an investigation is conducted.

“The investigation will determine what access (Golchehr) had and what he did here,” Stewart said, adding, “A lot of questions have to be looked into,” Stewart said.

Copyright 2010 West Marie Media