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DEA impostor duped Oregon woman into believing she was agent-in-training, feds say

PORTLAND, Ore. — A Portland, Oregon, woman’s short-lived dream of becoming a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent was shattered when the man who recruited her was charged with impersonating a federal agent.

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The man, identified as Robert Edward Golden in a criminal complaint filed Thursday in U.S. District Court, was apprehended after police in Portland sensed something about the pair was amiss and contacted the DEA, NBC News reported.

If convicted, Golden faces a fine and as many as three years in federal prison. His pretrial release conditions, however, require counseling, mental health evaluations and random drug tests, The Washington Post reported.

According to an affidavit, Sgt. Matthew Jacobsen of the Portland Police Bureau approached the duo at around midnight Wednesday and noticed tactical gear and other items affiliated with the federal agency and general law enforcement in their silver Dodge Charger. Jacobsen said that Golden told the woman, whom he identified as his trainee, to show the sergeant her credentials, NBC News reported.

According to the filing, Golden later told DEA investigators that he and the woman “were into ‘cosplay’ and that is why they had the police tactical vests with DEA/Police patches” and other fake items, the Post reported.

Court documents do not indicate if the woman is facing charges, but they do state that Golden gave her a badge, took her on nighttime surveillance ride-alongs and accompanied her to shooting practice as part of her “training,” the newspaper reported.

During his initial questioning by Portland authorities, Golden told investigators that he purchased the fake DEA badges and credentials online and said that the firearms Jacobsen observed in their vehicle were “not real and shot rubber balls,” according to the Post.

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