A dishonorably discharged Marine allegedly impersonated a security guard for President Donald Trump’s Marine One helicopter and bypassed checkpoints at Palm Beach International Airport last week, according to a report.
The New York Times said:
The former Marine, Brandon M. Magnan, 37, of Naples, Fla., was charged on Jan. 6 with false personation of officer or employee of the United States, according to a criminal complaint by the United States Secret Service.
It wasn’t clear why Mr. Magnan was trying to get near the helicopter. Marine One, which is piloted and protected by the Marine Corps unit known as HMX-1, is used to transport the president for shorter trips, the Secret Service said.
Mr. Trump was spending his winter vacation in Palm Beach, Fla., at his private Mar-a-Lago resort at the time of the episode with Mr. Magnan.
Law enforcement said Magnan was asked to present his credentials upon entering Atlantic Aviation without Marine attire, often worn by the president’s security team during presidential travel, according to court documents.
The Palm Beach Post first reported that a deputy asked a colleague to verify Magnan’s credentials, which were later found to be falsified. The suspect retorted that he was a retired Marine. However, the FBI’s crime database reportedly shows Magnan was dishonorably discharged after he was court-martialed for “serious offenses.” He was convicted of “abusive sexual conduct” and is a registered sex offender.
Magnan is charged with false presentation of an officer or employee of the U.S. He faces up to three years in jail and a $250,000 fine. The former military member has been out on bond as of Monday and is scheduled to appear in a Florida court on January 27th.