Mt. Pleasant Township man accused of impersonating officer, threatening relative, troopers
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A former U.S. Forestry Service employee was jailed Wednesday on $100,000 bond after he was charged with falsely identifying himself as a federal law officer and threatening to arrest state troopers responding to a domestic incident in Mt. Pleasant Township.
George L. Fusco, 52, was arrested by state police on charges of disorderly conduct, impersonating an officer, reckless endangerment, simple assault and terroristic threats in connection with the incident.
Trooper Jesse Niehenke reported in court documents filed with District Judge Charles Moore that police were dispatched to a residence on the 100 block of Larkspur Circle for a report of a domestic dispute between Fusco and a 72-year-old female relative.
When troopers arrived, Niehenke said they found the victim outside, “visibly upset” and hiding from Fusco behind a tree.
“She related that she was fearful for her life. She said (Fusco) was highly intoxicated, belligerent and hostile,” Niehenke wrote.
“(Fusco) said the only way he would be able to rid himself of her would be when he buries her and persisted to lunge at her,” Niehenke wrote.
Niehenke said the victim was recuperating from recent hip surgery and walked with the assistance of a cane.
When police confronted Fusco at the scene, Niehenke said “Fusco identified himself as a federal law enforcement officer and would bring felony complaints against the four responding troopers.”
He said in court documents Fusco claimed he was a lieutenant with a federal law enforcement agency and “his power outranks state troopers.”
According to court documents, Fusco continued to be confrontational with troopers at the home “raising his voice and flailing his arms in the faces of the troopers at the scene.”
When Fusco “took an aggressive stance while arguing with Trooper Tristan Tappe,” he was taken into custody and placed in handcuffs, according to court documents.
Niehenke reported that further investigation revealed Fusco, who used to live in Brookville, resigned his position with the federal forestry service at its office in the Allegheny National Forest in Marienville, Forest County, in July 2019.
Online payroll records indicate Fusco was a physical science technician with the agency.
A call to the forestry service office in Marienville seeking comment was not immediately returned.