Man impersonates state trooper, threatens to arrest woman if denied sex, MA police say
Two men — including one who was impersonating a state trooper — were caught trying to pay women for sex in Massachusetts, authorities said.
The impostor threatened to arrest the woman if she didn’t “comply with his demands” before she escaped from his car in Boston, Massachusetts State Police said in a March 16 Facebook post.
Mohammed Elawad, 30, of Norwood, was found with evidence in his car that showed he was pretending to be a state trooper, “including police stickers and certain clothing” before state police and Boston police human trafficking units arrested him, the post said.
He’s facing charges of paying for sexual conduct and impersonating a police officer, according to authorities.
Officers in the area saw the victim get into Elawad’s black Ford and spoke with her after she fled, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office said in a March 16 news release.
Then, they specifically found a state police union sticker on his car’s front windshield, a Boston police symbol on the rear windshield, and a knit cap which said “Boston Police,” the DA’s office noted.
Charles Saia, of Waltham, 70, was also arrested “in the same operation,” state police said. He’s been charged with paying for sexual conduct, distribution of a class B narcotic, a felony, and possession of a class B narcotic, another felony.
Elawad was arraigned and released on a $300 bail, the district attorney’s office said on March 16. He’s been barred from going to the area of Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard in Boston, where he’s accused of soliciting sex.
“Luckily, real police were on site to stop him and to offer services to the victim,” District Attorney Kevin Hayden said in a statement.
State police released a photo of Elawad on Facebook and warned the public to “be aware that he has no affiliation with any law enforcement agency.”
Saia was also scheduled to be arraigned on March 16, but the district attorney’s office hasn’t yet provided an update.
In neighboring New York, police in New York City are searching for two suspects they say impersonated police, according to the NYPD. They are accused of “forcibly” removing a victim’s property before fleeing into a Honda.
This story was originally published March 16, 2022 at 4:09 PM with the headline "Man impersonates state trooper, threatens to arrest woman if denied sex, MA police say."
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