Three men face felony charges after allegedly conspiring to impersonate police officers at multiple suburban Chicago No Kings protests over the weekend.
DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said the three men each wore tactical vests in an attempt to “dress like peace officers,” and each of the three were allegedly carrying ammunition without a FOID card.
According to a press release, Jonathan Capp, 22, Andrew Knight, 24, and Cole Sarros, 26, appeared in court Monday on charges of conspiracy to commit false personation of a police officer, a Class 4 felony, and one count of unlawful possession of ammunition without a FOID card.
The offenses are considered non-detainable, but the three men were ordered to surrender all firearms, ammunition and weapons to Elmhurst police.
In addition to the ammunition, Capp was alleged to have worn a face mask while in possession of an airsoft rifle and a handgun without an orange tip, making them both appear to be legitimate firearms.
Police allegedly found fake flash bangs and lighter fluid in their vehicle during a search.
“Impersonating a peace officer is a serious crime that not only erodes public trust, but also has the potential to put legitimate officers at risk, particularly at a political protest,” Berlin said. “The allegations that these three defendants attempted to pass themselves off as peace officers while traveling to multiple political protests this past weekend are very serious and will be fully prosecuted” Berlin said
The group intended to go to multiple “No Kings” protests around the area, but any additional motive is unclear at this time.
The group’s next court appearance will come on November 17.