Apex man charged with impersonating law enforcement officer for third time

Wake County Sheriff's Office deputies seized his vehicle this week, saying it could easily have been mistaken for a law enforcement vehicle. After searching his vehicle, deputies found a vest with a North Carolina fugitive recovery agent's badge pinned on it, according to photos released by the sheriff's office. Court records show Stenulis previously worked for Golden Bail Bonds in Raleigh and a LinkedIn profile associated with Stenulis said he had worked as a fugitive recovery agent.

Fugitive recovery agents — more commonly known as bounty hunters — are not public law enforcement officers. The agents assist bail bondsmen in tracking down and arresting fugitives who have refused to show up in court or pay bond. While there are laws that regulate fugitive recovery agents, they are not publicly funded.

The back window of Stenulis' Dodge Charger also had a small sticker that read, "not a cop," according to the photos.

Stenulis was caught this time by an off-duty deputy who was traveling on U.S. Route 70 near Benson Road in Garner, officials said.

After similar arrests in 2017 and 2018, charges against Stenulis were dropped, based on the color of the flashing lights on his car.

Under North Carolina law, officer impersonation cases come down to the color of lights the accused uses. If they use red lights to impersonate an officer, their crime is only a misdemeanor. If they equip a car with blue lights to impersonate an officer, they face felony charges.

Deputies said that Stenulis' Dodge Charger seized this week was equipped with blue lights, which means his charges are more serious.

Albert Rojas, who was confronted by Stenulis in 2017, told WRAL News that he believed Stenulis was an officer. Stenulis approached Rojas' home with red flashing lights on his car and claimed to be a special agent with the same authority as the Raleigh Police Department. He presented Rojas with a fake badge, according to an arrest warrant.

"He tried to force me and my family to take my name and my information," Rojas said.

A year later, Stenulis was arrested for impersonation after he pulled over another driver in downtown Raleigh using a siren and flashing red lights. When police arrived, they found that Stenulis had a handgun in his car.

Records also show Stenulis was charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and discharging a weapon into an occupied dwelling or moving vehicle in Johnston County back in 2018. Both of those charges, felonies, were dropped. It's unclear if Stenulis was working as a fugitive recovery agent during that time.

Court documents indicate that Stenulis was honorably discharged from the the U.S. Air Force and has training in machine guns. He served in the Air Force for five years and 10 months as a security forces journeyman in Texas.

The role is similar to that of a police officer and Stenulis would have had the ability to arrest and detain suspects while ensuring the safety of military bases, according to a job description posted on the U.S. Air Force website.

He was given several awards during his service, including the Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon.