Last year, Long Island resident Raymond Roth was arrested for faking his death by drowning, in a ploy to collect an insurance policy. Yesterday, he was arrested for allegedly posing as a cop and trying to lure a women into his van.
Roth was busted for two incidents over the past month, and the Post reports he's suspected in a third: "The Long Beach resident allegedly pulled up next to a woman in Freeport on March 16 and identified himself as a cop — then ordered her to climb in his wood-paneled white van, Nassau police said. When she declined, Roth...briefly ran after her on foot, cops said."
Then, days later, he approached another woman in Freeport, saying he was a cop. When she declined to get into his van, he threatened to arrest her and chased her into a check cashing location. The woman convinced the employees to lock him out, but Roth allegedly attempted to enter by telling employees he was a cop. When she refused, he threatened to arrest her, cops said.
Roth, 48, was charged with criminal impersonation, attempted kidnapping and attempted burglary. Though he faces fraud charges from his fake drowning (which he plotted with his son), he delayed his jail time of 90 days (plus probation) by claiming he was taking a culinary course. His lawyer had said, "You heard that he spent two weeks at South Nassau Hospital. It wasn’t a ruse that I concocted for sympathy, or as a defense. He needed treatment. There was a suicide attempt while he was in there.”
