Житель штата Мичиган обвиняют в сбросе сточных вод в озеро Мичиган и подделке сотрудника береговой охраны

Feds: Man dumped sewage in Lake Michigan, impersonated Coast Guard A Traverse City man is facing charges of impersonating a federal officer and violations of the Clean Water Act following a two-year investigation. The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan announced Friday in a release Brent Alan Tompkins was indicted on charges he also unlawfully used U.S. Coast Guard insignia and dumped sewage into Lake Michigan. More: Invasive carp are getting closer to the Great Lakes, prompting warnings The investigation, completed by the Coast Guard Investigative Service and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Environmental Investigations Section, started based on allegations the 52-year-old had "discharged pollutants into Lake Michigan, at White Shoal Light," the release said. The investigation also identified additional 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 EmmetCounty." U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey said preserving Lake Michigan as a natural resource is "a high priority for my office." "The charges relating to impersonating a Coast Guard officer point to another troubling issue encountered in this case," VerHey said in the release. "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." Tompkins is charged with false impersonation of a federal officer, unauthorized use of a Coast Guard insignia, and discharge of a pollutant into a navigable waterway. If convicted, Tompkins faces up to three years in prison and a fine of at least $5,000 per day that he violated the Clean Water Act. Tompkins has not been taken into custody, and an initial hearing will be set for early September, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. Legal filings do not yet list an attorney representing him. [email protected] This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Feds: Man dumped sewage in Lake Michigan, impersonated Coast Guard