MILLSTADT, Illinois — A St. Louis man was charged after allegedly driving around St. Clair County, Illinois, in vehicles styled like law enforcement vehicles, police said.
Raymond Signorino, 55, was charged with three misdemeanors including possession of unlawful display of license plate not authorized by law, improper use of registration and possession of oscillating, rotating, flashing lights or police equipment.
He was also charged with unlawful display of incorrect registration plates, a traffic offense.
According to a press release, on Tuesday, Nov. 7, Millstadt police began investigating two vehicles seen driving through Millstadt with the "appearance of being law enforcement vehicles."
The two vehicles were a 2012 black Chevrolet Impala and a 2015 black Ford Explorer.
Officials worked with the Illinois Secretary of State Police in the investigation and found another law enforcement agency received an inquiry about one of the vehicles.
On Friday, Nov. 10, an officer observed the Ford Explorer and initiated a traffic stop in the 500 block of East Washington Street.
According to the release, the vehicle had a siren attached to its front push-bumper and had working red and blue emergency lights on its rear window. Signorino was taken into custody.
The 55-year-old did not have any other police equipment, police insignias or badges, according to Millstadt police.
Police said Signorino was released from custody.
Millstadt Police Chief Alan Hucke said this incident was nerve-wracking for the community.
"Especially in our community, they feel they can trust law enforcement, and so when they see this, that definitely makes them feel uneasy, throws up a red flag, and that's why I'm grateful that our police officers took a proactive approach, did an investigation and stopped this vehicle and the subject was charged," he said.
Hucke said the investigation is still ongoing and they are still trying to learn if Signorino ever pulled anyone over.
"We're still consulting with other agencies, seeing if anybody from the public turns up anything," he said.
If you believe you were stopped by an individual driving either of these vehicles or if the driver did anything to represent himself as a law enforcement officer, police urge you to contact the law enforcement agency where the incident occurred.
Hucke said if you are in a situation where you're stopped by someone you don't think is an actual officer, call 911. He said to tell the operator what's going on and that you're willing to stop, but you want to verify the person pulling you over is an actual law enforcement officer.
To watch 5 On Your Side broadcasts or reports 24/7, 5 On Your Side is always streaming on 5+. Download for free on Roku, Amazon Fire TV or the Apple TV App Store.