San Joaquin Sheriff: Alleged Law Enforcement Officer Impersonator Used Spouse's Access Card To Get Into Secure Areas

STOCKTON (CBS13) – A man married to a San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office employee has been arrested for allegedly posing as a law enforcement officer and using his spouse's access card to get into secure areas at the department.

The sheriff's office says they're aware of several videos that have been posted online by a man named Merle Neufield.

While Neufield presented himself as a sheriff's office captain in the videos, the department says he has no law enforcement experience.

An investigation did find, however, that Neufield is married to a San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office employee. Investigators suspect Neufield has been using that employee's department-issued access card for the past few months.

Neufield was arrested Wednesday night when he again entered the department's private lot. He's now facing charges of impersonating a peace officer and trespassing with the intent to commit a crime.

"We at the Sheriff's Office take the security of our facilities very seriously and are reviewing our security policies and procedures to prevent breaches like this from occurring in the future," the sheriff's office said in a statement.

The sheriff's office employee married to Neufield has been placed on administrative leave.