New Hampshire

Merrimack Man Accused of Impersonating Police Officer Denies All Charges

22-year-old Obadiah Croteau says he was just trying to be a Good Samaritan

A man who is facing charges for allegedly impersonating a police officer in New Hampshire says he is a business man, not a cop.

Obadiah Croteau, 22, of Merrimack, was arrested on March 7 and charged with false personation of law enforcement, security services license required, and emergency medical and trauma services acts prohibited.

Croteau, who was released on personal recognizance, tells NBC10 Boston exclusively that he never represented being a law enforcement officer.

The 22-year-old says he owns Propel Entertainment, a company that puts on lavish parties for its clients. The company, which has an office in Nashua, hosts concerts and weddings, and they provide executive protection and bodyguard services.

“We were planning on being more of a body guard unit,” he said.

But State Police say Croteau was offering more than just that.

Police began investigating in October 2018 after they received several reports from people regarding someone possibly impersonating an officer. Authorities say several people saw Croteau driving around in a green Dodge Charger with similar equipment found in State Police cruisers, including an overhead light bar, laptop computer mounted, and cameras.

Despite the optics, Croteau says there’s clear lettering on the car that says “not a law enforcement agency.”

Officials say Croteau’s car had also been seen stopped at multiple accident scenes in Merrimack, where callers who were on the line with 911 believed based on seeing the car that there was an officer already on scene. At these accidents, Croteau was reportedly seen wearing a security uniform and represented himself to be a first responder who could provide medical care if needed.

Croteau also allegedly stopped a disabled vehicle once and identified himself as being with a roadside service company. Authorities say he also sought some personal information from that driver.

While Croteau alleges that the car in question belongs to his company, officials say neither Croteau nor his company is registered with the state, which is required by New Hampshire law.

Croteau was also found to be in possession of an ID card printer and several different identification cards which identified him as an “Executive Protection Officer,” as well as a “First Responder.”

Authorities say Croteau does not hold any valid license through the state to provide any type of medical services.

The only mistake Croteau says he’s willing to admit is being unlicensed to provide security services in New Hampshire, but he says he was just trying to be a Good Samaritan.

"We were actually just trying to help people like if they were disabled, if they needed gasoline. We carry a lot of equipment in our vehicles," he said.

Croteau says he’s now shutting down the security part of his business until he can fight the charges in court. He is scheduled to appear in Hillsborough County Superior Court South on March 21. It’s unclear if he has a lawyer.

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