Laurel County KY May 9 2013 When employees at The Dollar Store in Laurel County confronted a shoplifter, he claimed to be a deputy, showed them a badge, and left the store in what looked like a Ford Crown Victoria, a car often driven by police officers.Less than an hour after Laurel County Sheriff John Root's office posted a surveillance photo of the man on its Facebook page Thursday, a resident responded with information that led police to a suspect's home, a news release said.
When deputies arrived at the home of Robert C. Trabish Jr,, Trabish's friend Marie M. Belle Richardson allegedly took the badge the thief had used and ran into the woods to try to conceal it from deputies, police said.
Trabish, 28, of London was charged Thursday with impersonating a peace officer and tampering with evidence in the Sunday shoplifting case. Richardson, 52, of London was charged with tampering with evidence.
Richardson and Trabish were taken to the Laurel County jail, the news release said.