Traverse City Man Indicted for Impersonating Federal Officer and Violating the Clean Water Act

MARQUETTE, MICHIGAN - U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey announced that Brent Alan Tompkins, 52, Traverse City, was indicted on criminal charges alleging that he impersonated a federal officer, unlawfully used Coast Guard insignia, and discharged sewage into Lake Michigan.

The indictment follows a two-year investigation by the Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) and Michigan Department of Natural Resources Environmental Investigations Section (EIS) for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) into allegations that Tompkins discharged pollutants into Lake Michigan, at White Shoal Light. Investigators also identified allegations that Tompkins operated a vessel with insignia resembling U.S. Coast Guard insignia and represented himself as a Coast Guard member to a distressed mariner in Emmet County.

U.S. Attorney VerHey said, "Reports that Tomkins was polluting Lake Michigan got our attention right away because protecting this national resource is a high priority for my office. I appreciate the investigative work that CGIS and EGLE did in this case to make it possible to bring charges. The charges relating to impersonating a Coast Guard officer point to another troubling issue encountered in this case. The public has a right to know when they are dealing with a properly trained public official--and when they are not--especially during a potentially dangerous situation on the water. This is no place for impersonators and wannabes."

"Protecting the public's trust in the U.S. Coast Guard and safeguarding our nation's waterways is critical," said Assistant Director Joshua Packer of the Coast Guard Investigative Service, LANT Operations. "Impersonating Coast Guard personnel and misusing Coast Guard markings can create serious safety and security risks on the water. CGIS will continue working with our federal, state, and local partners to investigate conduct that threatens public confidence, maritime safety, and the marine environment."

Tompkins is charged with false impersonation of a federal officer, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 912; unauthorized use of a Coast Guard insignia, in violation of 14 U.S.C. § 933; and discharge of a pollutant into a navigable waterway, in violation of 33 U.S.C. §§ 1311(a), 1319(c)(2)(A).

The case was investigated by CGIS and EGLE. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Michigan.

If convicted, Tompkins faces up to 3 years in prison and a fine of at least $5,000 per day that he violated the Clean Water Act.

The charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.