PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (CBS12) — A man from Port St. Lucie was accused of impersonating a law enforcement officer in an attempt to avoid a background check while renting a residential property.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) said it began investigating William Dennis Milstead, 64, when a real estate company reported he was trying to rent a residential property.

Milstead allegedly claimed to be an undercover FDLE agent working “off the grid,” which he said prevented him from being subject to a background check.

See also: Delray Beach police are warning of a new scam involving bogus fines and jury duty

According to the FDLE, in order to further his scam, he provided a fake letter to the letting agent.

A background check on Milstead led authorities to discover that Milstead has a criminal record with 13 prior felony arrests, including prior charges of impersonating a police officer in 2002 and 2016.

The FDLE reported that Milstead was booked into the St. Louis County Jail on Wednesday. Lucie and was charged with impersonating a police officer, making a false statement to obtain property and using a two-way communication device to commit a felony.

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