A 64-year-old man from Port St. Lucie, William Dennis Milstead, was arrested by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) on November 13, 2024, after he was accused of impersonating a law enforcement officer in an elaborate ruse to deceive a local real estate agency.
FDLE agents launched an investigation after receiving information that Milstead was attempting to lease a residential property. During the rental process, he claimed to be an undercover FDLE agent working “off-grid” and requested to bypass the standard background check. Milstead also provided a falsified letter to support his false claims.
A screeshot of Milstead’s falsified letterPhoto byFDLE press release
Further investigation revealed that Milstead had a history of criminal activity, including 13 prior felony arrests, and had been previously arrested in 2002 and 2016 for similar charges of impersonating a police officer.
Milstead has been booked into the Saint Lucie County Jail and faces charges for falsely impersonating a police officer, making a false statement to obtain property, and using a two-way communication device to commit a felony. The case will be prosecuted by the Office of the State Attorney, 19th Judicial Circuit.