A former Marine allegedly impersonated a security team member for Marine One, the helicopter that transports President Trump on short trips, and breached two checkpoints last week at Palm Beach International Airport, according to authorities, The New York Times first reported.
Brandon Magnan, 37, is charged with false personation of an officer or employee of the United States, according to federal court documents.
The helicopter unit, known as HMX-1, takes Trump to and from his residence in Florida. Trump was spending his winter vacation at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach at the time of the incident. Magnan approached a security checkpoint near where the helicopter was housed and showed credentials that indicated he was a law enforcement officer with the United States Marine Corps.
He made it past another checkpoint before a sheriff’s deputy there noticed that Magnan was not wearing a Marine Corps uniform. When confronted, Magnan told officers he was a retired member of HMX-1. However, the court documents show Magnan was dishonorably discharged about 10 years ago after being convicted at a court-martial for “serious offenses.”
According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Magnan was convicted of “abusive sexual conduct” and sodomy during his time in the military. It’s unclear what the details of those offenses are.
Magnan was arrested Jan. 6 and was released on a $100,000 bond, according to court documents.
If convicted of posing as a U.S. Secret Service officer, Magnan faces up to three years in prison. He is set to appear in a Florida federal court on Jan. 27.