A man who first identified himself as a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent was arrested by Ruston Police after an incident on Interstate 20 Monday evening.
James Dark, 42, of Lake Charles, was arrested July 7 for falsely identifying himself as a law enforcement officer and a number of drug offenses, according to booking records.
At about 6:00 p.m., a motorist reported a man driving a Dodge Ram pickup truck was following him on I-20 from Monroe and had flashed a firearm and a badge at him. The motorist drove to the Ruston Police station and the Ram pickup followed him.
When RPD officers approached Dark, he identified himself as a federal DEA agent. He appeared nervous and shaking, according to an officer’s report. Dark later recanted that statement but was found with fake DEA identification and badge, a pair of handcuffs, and a Sig Sauer P220 pistol.
After the odor of marijuana was detected coming from Dark’s truck, a search was conducted. Officers found a small amount of marijuana, a smoking pipe, a grinder, several pills in an unmarked bottle that were later determined to be amphetamine, 35 clonazepam pills and one tadalafil.
Dark was booked at the Lincoln Parish Detention Center for false personation of a peace officer, illegal carrying of weapons in the presence of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of amphetamine, possession of clonazepam with intent to distribute, and possession of a legend drug (tadalafil).
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named or shown in photographs or video as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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