Written on September 15th, 2006 by Hucky

Arrest In Pitt-Jolie Security Scheme

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A California man was arrested today for impersonating a federal agent in a bizarre bid to land a job as a bodyguard for Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

Nelson Mercado, 46, was busted this morning in connection with a federal indictment charging him with a felony impersonation count. A copy of the indictment, filed in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana, can be found below. According to prosecutors, Mercado claimed to be a Department of Homeland Security agent when he contacted a private security firm, Sunset Protective Services and Investigations, that provides bodyguards for corporate clients and high-profile individuals like Pitt and Jolie.

Mercado, who specifically sought a contract to protect the two movie stars, claimed to Sunset that he had protected famous athletes and entertainers while off-duty from his federal post. The indictment alleges that Mercado carried fake DHS credentials and drove a Ford Crown Victoria with tinted windows and police lights. The vehicle, the indictment notes, was “fraudulently registered to the ‘US Dept of Homeland Security of America.’” Mercado, a Torrance resident, was arrested by Secret Service agents and faces a maximum of three years in prison if convicted of the charge. (3 pages)

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0914062pitt1.html

About Harlan Austin

President of Bodyguards Careers Harlan Austin has acquired over 25 years of field experience as an Executive Protection Specialist, seven years of which he served as Director of Security Services for Paisley Park Productions.
Foremost, in his duties at Paisley Park was assuring the safety and welfare of the musical artist Prince, as well as celebrities with whom Prince collaborated or associated with Lenny Kravitz, Madonna, Carmen Elektra, Sheena Easton, Patti LaBelle and Kim Basinger to name a few. Read More About Harlan Austin