Bodycam video out of West Melbourne shows officers’ encounter with a man who was later arrested, accused of impersonating a lawyer. Derek Schaufus, 30, of Palm Bay, faces charges of misrepresenting himself as qualified to practice law, obstruction by a disguised person, and resisting an officer without violence, police said. On April 25, West Melbourne police had conducted a traffic stop on Interstate 95 and were in the process of arresting the driver after drugs were found in the vehicle when Schaufus was seen on camera approaching the officers — wearing a full suit and tie — to speak with them, according to the affidavit for his arrest warrant.”You want to go over probable cause so we can just see what’s going on here?” Schaufus said in the bodycam video.”You’re her attorney?” an officer asked. “I’m her representative, yes,” Schaufus replied. “That’s a first,” the officer said. The affidavit states Schaufus asked to speak on the driver’s behalf, asked about legal procedures and the existence of probable cause, and even “attempted to negotiate a deal for the driver on scene.” More than half an hour of back-and-forth between police and Schaufus ended in the driver’s arrest and her transport to Brevard County’s jail, during which time she told police that she knew the man as Derek and described him as her attorney, the affidavit states. However, when police had asked Schaufus for his name, he identified himself as “Jonathan Mills” and, when further questioned about the name “Derek Schaufus,” he allegedly said that was the name of his firm’s secretary. “My name is Jonathan Mills and I’m based out of Orlando,” Schaufus said in the bodycam video. A search of the phone number that he provided to police — telling them it was his office number — returned results for “Derek Schaufus,” the affidavit states. Not only that, but investigators said they soon got in contact with the real Jonathan Mills. “Through some more investigative work, making contact with the actual attorney who was like, ‘No, that was not me,'” Lt. Graig Erenstoft said Wednesday. The real attorney told police that Schaufus had been a client of his in a DUI case, adding he swore that he was not at the traffic stop himself and that he did not give Schaufus permission to represent him, the affidavit states. Police also went to Schaufus’ home in Palm Bay, where they said they spoke with his father. “When we went to the house, the father answered the door, and we said, ‘Hey, is your son a lawyer?'” Erenstoft said. “He laughed and said ‘No, but he’s known to be the street lawyer.'” According to Erenstoft, Schaufus would not give his name to police when officers went to serve the warrant. >>Full video below: Bodycam shows Florida man accused of posing as a lawyer
WEST MELBOURNE, Fla. —
Bodycam video out of West Melbourne shows officers’ encounter with a man who was later arrested, accused of impersonating a lawyer.
Derek Schaufus, 30, of Palm Bay, faces charges of misrepresenting himself as qualified to practice law, obstruction by a disguised person, and resisting an officer without violence, police said.
On April 25, West Melbourne police had conducted a traffic stop on Interstate 95 and were in the process of arresting the driver after drugs were found in the vehicle when Schaufus was seen on camera approaching the officers — wearing a full suit and tie — to speak with them, according to the affidavit for his arrest warrant.
“You want to go over probable cause so we can just see what’s going on here?” Schaufus said in the bodycam video.
“You’re her attorney?” an officer asked.
“I’m her representative, yes,” Schaufus replied.
“That’s a first,” the officer said.
The affidavit states Schaufus asked to speak on the driver’s behalf, asked about legal procedures and the existence of probable cause, and even “attempted to negotiate a deal for the driver on scene.”
More than half an hour of back-and-forth between police and Schaufus ended in the driver’s arrest and her transport to Brevard County’s jail, during which time she told police that she knew the man as Derek and described him as her attorney, the affidavit states.
However, when police had asked Schaufus for his name, he identified himself as “Jonathan Mills” and, when further questioned about the name “Derek Schaufus,” he allegedly said that was the name of his firm’s secretary.
“My name is Jonathan Mills and I’m based out of Orlando,” Schaufus said in the bodycam video.
A search of the phone number that he provided to police — telling them it was his office number — returned results for “Derek Schaufus,” the affidavit states.
Not only that, but investigators said they soon got in contact with the real Jonathan Mills.
“Through some more investigative work, making contact with the actual attorney who was like, ‘No, that was not me,'” Lt. Graig Erenstoft said Wednesday.
The real attorney told police that Schaufus had been a client of his in a DUI case, adding he swore that he was not at the traffic stop himself and that he did not give Schaufus permission to represent him, the affidavit states.
Police also went to Schaufus’ home in Palm Bay, where they said they spoke with his father.
“When we went to the house, the father answered the door, and we said, ‘Hey, is your son a lawyer?'” Erenstoft said. “He laughed and said ‘No, but he’s known to be the street lawyer.'”
According to Erenstoft, Schaufus would not give his name to police when officers went to serve the warrant.
>>Full video below: Bodycam shows Florida man accused of posing as a lawyer