KEMPER COUNTY, Miss. (Queen City Newsfeed) – A man was arrested Tuesday after authorities say he posed as an agent with the East Mississippi Drug Task Force and attempted to provide false information about alleged drug activity.
According to the Kemper County Sheriff’s Office, deputies received a phone call around 11:15 a.m. from a man who identified himself as “Agent Tyler Eakes” with the task force in Lauderdale County. Sheriff’s officials said the name did not match any known agents, and the caller was asked to come to the sheriff’s office to discuss the matter in person.
About an hour later, the man arrived and told a narcotics investigator he was an undercover agent with information to share. When asked for credentials, he presented a wallet containing no law enforcement identification, the sheriff’s office said.
Deputies identified the man as Dale Eakes, who they said is not a sworn law enforcement officer. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with impersonation of a law enforcement officer.
During questioning, officials said Eakes falsely claimed he had been working in law enforcement roles in several surrounding counties.
Eakes appeared before a Kemper County Justice Court judge at about 3:45 p.m. Tuesday for his initial appearance. His bond was set at $50,000.
In a statement, the sheriff’s office said it “will not tolerate anyone ‘playing cop’ for attention or convenience,” adding that real officers earn their positions “through training, discipline and service.”