A man accused of making threats to victims across New York City to steal money and other goods has done so while impersonating an NYPD official, police said Sunday.
The NYPD says the first reported instance dated back to July 2020, when Anthony Gonzalez allegedly fought with an employee at Radio City Apartments in Midtown. Police say the man brandished a firearm and police shield before threatening to have the employee "investigated by law enforcement."
In at least two other instances this year, the department alleges the man impersonated an officer to offer victims help before coercing them "to pay him for services that were never rendered."
Between a nearly two week period in April, police said the impersonator removed a computer, 15 bottles of cologne, sneakers and clothing from a 60-year-old man. The following month, police said he took nearly $4,000 from a 45-year-old man after posing as a detective.
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Detectives investigating the robbery pattern say Gonzalez has struck in Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx.
