StoryDiscussionBy ANNE JUNGEN |
ajungen@lacrossetribune.com Posted: Thursday, March 25, 2010 12:00 am
A La Crosse man with dreams of being a federal agent now faces charges that accuse him of impersonating a bounty hunter.
Kevin Shirel forfeited his leather-cased fugitive recovery agent identification card, badge and squad car lights after his arrest for claiming to work also as a federal agent and undercover drug investigator, according to a La Crosse police report.
“You know where I live. I will abide by what you say. I just wanted some meaning in my life,” he told investigators.
Shirel, 47, flashed his badge and holstered handgun in February and March at Payday Loan Store, 4009 Mormon Coulee Road, where employees believed he worked in law enforcement, according to the report. Surveillance video showed him pointing the gun at two employees Feb. 27.
In mid-January, Shirel used his white sport utility vehicle equipped with squad lights and a K-9 sticker to stop a vehicle near Losey Boulevard and Crowley Place, according to reports. He asked the occupants for identification after claiming to be a federal agent.
When arrested March 12 for impersonating a peace officer, Shirel told police he paid $400 for a recovery agent training kit that included a DVD, badge and book that stated he could hold fugitives for law enforcement.He admitted to stopping the vehicle in January but denied claiming to be a federal agent
“because that would be illegal,” reports stated. Shirel also said he used his badge only once to calm a dispute between a manager and customer at Pawn America.
Shirel explained in a typed letter to the FBI after his arrest that he didn’t remember the incidents because prescription drugs affected his memory. He apologized for what he called “stupid” actions, the letter stated.
Shirel, of 515 N. Losey Blvd., is free on a signature bond. A court date has not been set
