Gerald, Missouri: Criminal imposter gets a job as a drug cop
June 25, 2008
When Bill Jakob applied for a job in Gerald, Missouri, he told police chief, Ryan McCrary, that he wanted to help fight the town’s methamphetamine problem. Considering the fact that Jakob told McCrary that he had been working as a federal drug agent in Illinois, who had a badge, a gun, a fully-equipped Ford Crown Victrola, and a contact number to verify who he was, McCrary hired him. It was all a lie. Jakob was actually an unemployed truck driver with a criminal record and financial problems.
What happened during the time Jakob worked for McCrary is an unbelievable and scary set of events. A set of events that prompted an investigation about him, by a Gasconade County Republican newspaper reporter. The investigation revealed that Jakob was an imposter, who had used his role as a enforcement agent to steal guns, money, and prescription drugs by intimidating and terrorizing them. Residents who complied with him during their arrests, never realized that they were being arrested illegally by someone who was just posing as a cop. The reporter’s investigation of Jakob was enough to prompt further investigation by the the FBI and the Missouri Highway Patrol. Jakob was arrested in mid May 2008, but he has yet to be charged with a crime. His attorney expects a federal indictment by the end of June.
Chief Ryan McCrary, the man who hired him, has been fired for not checking out the facts about JaKob before hiring him. Mayor Otis Schulte’s job is on the hot seat too. Residents are asking for his resignation, to resign, as well.
Source: “Case against fake police officer upends Missouri town” by Alan Scher Zagier, published by the Associated Press.
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