Accused Orange County serial law enforcement impersonator out on bond; deputies search for possible victims
ORLANDO, Fla. - The Orange County Sheriff’s Office is looking for people who have encountered a man with a history of impersonating law enforcement officers.
Christopher Levins, 26, has faced charges in St. John’s, Orange, and Lake counties for crimes related to pretending to be an officer.
The first case stems from 2013, when Levins was just 16. He was arrested for attempting to arrest another team under the threat of a Taser and handcuffs.
"This is beyond the pale of the usual impersonating, flashing a badge and hoping to get a free cheeseburger," said Anthony Schembri, former New York Corrections Commissioner, commenting on Levins’ bold activities.
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He served nine months at a juvenile facility for the crime. At age 18, he was accused of impersonating an undercover agent and K9 handler. During the investigation of the incident, detectives found a supply of guns, ammunition, and police gear in his home.
For said discovery, he was arrested for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. While he awaited trial for that charge, he was seen in a vehicle donning red and blue lights and sirens. According to deputies, he passed himself off as a Homeland Security agent.
In that case, Levins was sentenced to 36 months of probation. While on probation, he posed as an FBI agent on the campus of the University of South Florida. He was sentenced to two years and served 10 months.
In 2018, he allegedly handcuffed and arrested a woman for an outstanding warrant. Initially, he was not charged, but detectives found footage of the incident during the execution of a search warrant several years later. His personal body-worn camera appears to show him handcuffing the woman.
"He was nice enough to give us the evidence," Schembri remarked.
He’s since been charged with kidnapping, and he is currently out on bond awaiting trial for that case.
Detectives have reason to believe there are others who have encountered Levins as he pretended to be a member of law enforcement. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone who has encountered him in that capacity to contact them.
Schembri advises that if things seem suspicious during a traffic stop by someone claiming to be a law enforcement officer, "Call 911 yourself to verify that he is a police officer and say, 'I'm on route 75. I got pulled over. Is this man a real police officer?' A real police officer will understand your hesitancy."
Currently, Levins is out on bond.