Cops find fake IDs, uniforms after arresting mystery man
Florida police trying to find suspect's true identity
NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. – To some, Florida resident Roy Antigua may have been a decorated member of the U.S. military, a CIA agent or a member of NASA.
However, authorities in Florida say the only thing they know for sure is Antigua is a phony, and they are asking the public for help in identifying his possible cons and lies. They are trying to unravel the mystery surrounding Antigua after discovering an enormous stash of fake IDs and uniforms in his home.
"We need to know, from start to finish," New Port Richey police Chief James Steffens said at a news conference Monday according to The Tampa Bay Times, "who is Roy Antigua?"
New Port Richey Police Officer Edward Campbell tells MyFoxTampaBay.com he had a feeling something was amiss when Antigua gave him a U.S. Coast Guard identification during a routine traffic stop last week.
"It had a gold chip that was missing," Campbell told the station. "The back of the ID resembled a hotel card."
It was only the tip of the iceberg. Antigua, 52, had uniforms from NASA , U.S. Customs, the Navy, the CIA, the Secret Service and Homeland Security, The Tampa Bay Times reports. He also had dozens of military medals, a flight helmet and flight instructor badge and a Boy Scout troop leader uniform.
"It's actually scary. You see these Boy Scout uniforms, who knows if he's been around young children and what his intentions were," an official tells MyFoxTampaBay.com.
He had also had a bag full with doctor's equipment and a physician's assistant's badge, and chillingly, a photo of himself in scrubs holding a newborn.
Now authorities are saying the best case scenario is that Antigua is someone who has stockpiled his collection for play or dress-up.
"Is he really a threat or is he someone who is living a very involved fantasy life?" Steffens said according to The Tampa Bay Times.
Steffens tells the paper he can vouch that Antigua impersonated a Coast Guard officer at least once. He recognized Antigua from a Memorial Day event at a cemetery, where he says Antigua introduced himself as a Coast Guard Lieutenant Commander and was wearing a uniform. He then sat next to the police chief in a special section for officials.
"Everybody around there thought that he was the real deal," Steffens told the paper.
The only ID that ended up being real was an identification card saying Antigua was a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary in Miami, a volunteer unit, but Antigua was kicked out in 2011 after being arrested on a grand theft charge. Antigua is a licensed respiratory care practitioner, according to the Department of Health, but detectives aren't sure if or where he was employed.
Antigua was arrested for driving without a license and a parole violation after the traffic stop, but was further investigated once officers noticed the fake ID. He is now being held without bail.
Steffens asks anyone who might have dealt with Antigua to call his agency at (727) 841-4550. He says authorities are investigating his possible ties to federal law enforcement agencies, the military, hospitals and other groups.
"You don't have this collection just to keep it in your house and look in the mirror," Steffens told The Tampa Bay Times.
Click for more from The Tampa Bay Times.
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