A 37-year-old man allegedly took a woman from her Hemet home and handcuffed her, then intended to put her on a plane to the Philippines -- all while posing as a federal officer, Hemet police said Monday.
Gregory Raymond Denny allegedly took the woman into "custody" on Jan. 15, when he went to a home in the 1200 block of Stepstone Court and handcuffed her, telling the other residents in the home he was deporting her, according to Hemet police Lt. Duane Wisehart.
Denny wore clothing with what appeared to be a federal logo on it, a badge around his neck and a gun belt and holstered pistol, Wisehart said.
Denny took the woman in his vehicle to the U.S. Border Patrol station in Murrieta but officers there said there was no warrant out for the woman and they refused to take his "prisoner," said Wisehart, so Denny drove to San Diego International Airport, Wisehart said.
At the airport, the suspect escorted the victim to a gate, took the handcuffs off and sent her on her way to board the plane, which she did, Wisehart said.
"Near as we can tell, a family member purchased the ticket at the request of the suspect," Wisehart told City News Service.
After the home's other residents reported the incident, police asked Denny to come in, which he did, and they questioned him.
Denny claimed to be a federal officer and told police the same story the woman's roommates had told them but an inquiry into his would-be status with the U.S. Marshals Service determined he has never been employed with the agency, or any other law enforcement organization.
Denny was booked into the Southwest Justice Center on suspicion of impersonating an officer, kidnapping, false imprisonment and residential burglary.
Denny was released on bond for $50,000, and is scheduled to appear in court Feb. 16, according to sheriff's jail records.
The case has been turned over to the District Attorney's Office and notifications made to various other law enforcement agencies which might want to launch their own investigation.
No charges have been filed by the District Attorney's Office, court records indicate, and there are no prior cases pending in Riverside County for Denny.
It was unclear how Denny could travel through an airport with a woman in handcuffs and his credentials not verified.
