October 19th, 2022 – A Dallas man driving a stolen car allegedly claimed to be a federal officer when stopped on I-30 by a deputy Tuesday, according to arrest reports.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Deputies Bobby Osornio and Zack Steward reported seeing a Dodge Challenger with no license plates, only a rear dealers’ tag, being driven east on I-30 through Cumby, and initiated a traffic stop. The smoky gray coupe pulled off I-30 at 4:48 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022, and into the rest stop.
Upon contact with the driver and lone occupant, the man was unable to provide either a driver’s license or proof of insurance when asked for both. The man instead gave the deputy a letter from a bank he claimed was proof of his name, then gave a driver’s license number and a “proof of shipment” for the vehicle, Osornio alleged in arrest reports.
The man then identified himself to the deputy as a federal agent and provided a federal number. When asked for proof he’s a federal agent, he was unable to provide any. Records checks using the information given for the man and car showed no information on the car, but did show an extensive criminal history for the man, Osornio noted in arrest reports.
When asked how he obtained the car keys, the man said he got them from his father and was transporting the car to Tennessee. Deputies by that point had been made aware of information that a stolen sports car was reportedly being transported to Tennessee. A search of the car reportedly revealed a GPS tracker in the glovebox. The man was detained pending further investigation of the vehicle as possibly being stolen.
The proof of shipment included a dealership name. Deputies contacted Dallas Police to ask for an officer to make contact with the dealership. DPD and the dealership were able to confirm the new car had been stolen from the dealer’s lot. The man was placed under arrest and transported to jail, while the car was inventoried and towed.
The 44-year-old man identified as Michael Wayne Johnson of Dallas was charged at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 18, 2022, with expired driver’s license, impersonating a public servant and unauthorized use of a vehicle, according to arrest reports.
