Claims of illegal immigrants, bomb, gunshots part of 911 call made by Raleigh man impersonating federal officer
Claims of illegal immigrants, a bomb and gunshots are all part of a frantic 911 call made by a Raleigh man who is back in custody for impersonating a federal officer.
An arrest warrant says Christian Gerald Desgroux, 58, of 2407 Mount Vernon Church Road, called 911 on Nov. 27 and told a dispatcher that he was a federal officer who was following a white van believed to have a bomb inside.
According to the warrant, Desgroux told the dispatcher that there were 10 people inside the van who had a device designed to explode and destroy the vehicle on Wake Forest Road.
"They got 10 immigrants. They got a bomb on the van. I saw the bomb they were going to put in. They said they were going to take it over to Washington, D.C.," he says in the 911 call.
"He just shot my car. He just shot my car in the front,” Desgroux continued. “I'm in danger now. We came up to the red light. He crossed the red light. He just shot another shot."
When Raleigh police officers arrived at the scene, Desgroux continued to represent himself as a federal officer.
Desgroux is facing a felony charge of making a false bomb report and misdemeanor charges of impersonating a law enforcement officer and making a false report to police.
An FBI agent wrote in the criminal complaint that there was no bomb, no guns and no gunshots, but the van was real, and officers did place some of the occupants in custody.
Desgroux is currently in the Wake County jail awaiting his first appearance in federal court on Dec. 27.
In June, Desgroux pleaded guilty to one count of pretending to be a military officer after he landed a chartered helicopter at SAS Institute in order to impress a woman.
The helicopter landed on a soccer field at SAS headquarters on Nov. 6, 2017, and Desgroux stepped out wearing a military battle uniform implying the rank of Army lieutenant general, according to authorities. Federal agents say Desgroux told a security officer he was there to pick up a female employee and take her to Fort Bragg for a classified briefing authorized by President Donald Trump.
The woman did have a visit planned with Desgroux to assist with a design project, but she expected him to arrive by car, authorities said. Instead, they went on a 30-minute helicopter ride around Raleigh.
The woman, who is married, said she thought Desgroux was trying to impress her by flying her around, authorities said.
Desgroux has pretended to be a general before, despite never serving in the military, prosecutor Barbara Kocher said in July.
