A man who state troopers said portrayed himself as a Pittsburgh police officer on a Hempfield doorstep Friday morning is behind bars.
State police said they were called to a home on Crows Nest Road just before 10 a.m. by a resident who reported a suspicious person knocking on her door. Two men there told a state police trooper they were from out of town and were seeing if anyone wanted gravel for their driveway, according to court papers.
Three other men were in a nearby Ford F-150 that had a Massachusetts registration plate, police said.
The resident told police she heard a vehicle in her driveway followed by knocking at the door. The men spoke through the door and asked if she could open it, according to court papers.
When the woman said she was on the phone with the police, one of the men — Thomas O. Rooney, 25, of Massachusetts — claimed to be a Pittsburgh police officer, identifying himself as “Officer John Laney” and again asked for her to open the door, troopers said.
The resident reported she had the incident on surveillance video and that she felt fearful because of the man’s tone and demeanor.
Troopers said Rooney did not have any police identification. Trooper Steve Limani said police believe the group was attempting to conduct a construction fraud scam on residents.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency said warning signs of such a scam can include door-to-door sales, pressure tactics, a demand for cash, claims of special deals and no written contract.
Rooney is charged with impersonating a public servant, simple assault and harassment. He was denied bond and was being held at the Westmoreland County Prison. He did not have an attorney listed in online court records.
A preliminary hearing is set for Feb. 12.
No charges had been filed Friday evening against any of the other men.
